Love and Other Four Letter Words
by Lexaa
Summary: A series of oneshots, drabbles, and fluffy randomness about everyone's favorite couple, Percy and Annabeth. All chapter names will be four letters long.
1. Love

**Chapter One**: Love

**Summary**: Annabeth contemplates her feelings for Percy.

**Note**: To the people who are stumbling onto this story for the first time, please read the update at the bottom. Thanks!

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_Well, it seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with. - Gillian Anderson_

* * *

Of course, she hadn't wanted to fall in love with him.

It had just...happened, without a reasonable explanation. Annabeth liked knowing things, so it bothered her something horrible that she couldn't pin her finger on a valid reason why this had happened to_ her_, of all people. Athena, the no-nonsense goddess of wisdom and battle as well as Annabeth's mother, was not happy, and Annabeth didn't blame her. Annabeth herself would be upset if her daughter fell in love with someone like _him_.

That being said, there was definitely something different about him. Unlike most of the other people in Annabeth's life, he had stuck around. Countless times he had made her laugh when she was down, offered his shoulder for her to cry on, and even saved her life. He was her best friend.

But he was also rash. Impulsive. Potentially dangerous. And also a dimwit, as her mother liked to point out. "Certainly not a worthy match for a daughter of mine," she'd said.

Annabeth only half-listened to her mother though. Annabeth herself knew Percy more than her mother ever would. Despite his flaws, he was a good person. He was willing to sacrifice himself for you, even if it meant destroying the world. She'd seen him at his weakest, and even when he wanted to give up so badly, he always found a reason to keep going. Sure, he was a little annoying. A little insensitive. But Annabeth was able to see past all that and love him anyways. Besides, Percy wouldn't be Percy if he didn't have some issues.

Love. It was such a weird thing to say, even to herself. But no matter how much she tried to not think that way, she still thought of how she would sometimes catch herself staring into his beautiful sea-green eyes. Sometimes the wind would blow one of his unruly black locks out of place, and she'd have to sit on her hands to stop herself from reaching up and fixing it. And other times she would catch herself just listening to the sound of his laugh, wishing she could record that moment in her brain and replay it again and again.

There was no denying it anymore. She was in love. And the simple act of admitting it to herself seemed to take a weight off of her shoulders.

She was in love.

* * *

**A/N**: This has been lying dormant on my computer for a few months, and today I finally decided to post it. (: I was going to try to wait until I finished my other projects (Blast From the Past / New Kids in School), but that will most likely take awhile. So, here it is! This will probably be updated a little faster then the rest, since I come up with this type of thing pretty easily and I don't really have to think of a plot. So I hope you liked it (:

Oh, and reviews would be nice. (;

* * *

**Update 9/3/2011:** Wow, so it's been about a year and a half since I originally posted this story. I feel like I have to make some sort of note here acknowledging the fact that my writing style has kind of changed since then. If this is the first time that you've read this story, don't get turned off by the total mushiness that's running rampant throughout the first few chapters. It gets a little less atrocious later on. Seriously. (But if you happen to be into mushiness and gushiness, don't worry. There'll be some of that too.)

Yeah, I just felt like I had to say something because after rereading this story it occurred to me how icky it is in the beginning. But I'm too lazy to rewrite anything. Le sigh.

Okay, bye now.


	2. Like

**Summary: **Percy thinks back on the major love interests in his life. *insert stupid-sounding giggle here*

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T OWN ANYTHING. Consider this my disclaimer for all past and future chapters, in the event that I forget to put another.

By the way, I have some quotes here from TLO (which I most likely got wrong, seeing as that I'm writing this without my copy of the book), so don't read if you haven't read TLO! (:

* * *

So he was pretty sure he liked her.

Okay, maybe a few weeks ago he wasn't quite sure who he meant by "her", exactly. A couple of years ago, the choice would have been somewhat obvious. But a lot can change in a couple of years, and Percy knew that firsthand. Actually, he was still a little dumbfounded at how rapidly things had suddenly, inexplicably rearranged themselves.

The first significant rearrangement came in the form of Calypso. When Percy found himself on her island, he realized two things.

1) Aphrodite hadn't been kidding when she said she'd make his love life difficult (could she have picked a _worse_ time to put him in this predicament? His emotions were so conflicted that his head was actually starting to hurt).

2) Despite the headache, this was the chance of a lifetime, the chance to be to

Calypso what so many other heroes had failed to be. How could he

resist the opportunity to make history?

Percy spent two weeks thinking about his situation. The whole time, he was haunted with images of friends, of family, and of what he'd left behind. Maybe staying here would be better for him. He could sit back, relax, and not have to worry about anything ever again. After all, he'd had a great time with it so far. But he knew he would never

be able to do that. Forgetting would be impossible, and living with the guilt would be even worse. His ties to his friends and family back home were strong, unbreakable. Staying here would be like hiding from his problems, and Percy preferred to face them head on. So he left. Calypso would always be his biggest 'what if', but Percy didn't regret his decision.

The next significant rearrangement came in the form of none other but Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

Percy had met her before he had met Calypso, but it had been nothing more than a meaningless run-in. He thought of her a little after their strange encounter, but only because he was fascinated with the way she could see through the Mist, like his mother. His relationship with her hadn't turned into anything really serious until the following summer, when they'd discovered they lived in the same city, traveled through the Labyrinth, and developed some sort of friendship. As a result, Percy found himself calling her up more and more often. She was just so _easy_ to hang out with. He didn't stumble over his words or get nervous when he was around her. She was a refreshing new figure in his life, and spending time with her just made dealing with all this pressure that much easier. When he was with her, he could forget all of his problems and just focus on the present.

But it was eerily similar to how he had felt with Calypso. Although being with both of him felt great, Percy would never be able to let go of the fact that he had a job to do. His friends and family needed him. The gods needed him. Heck, the whole world needed him, even if they didn't know it. Percy couldn't run away from being who he was, no matter how hard he tried.

This was a point that had been brought up by Annabeth, right after he'd received his prophecy. "All it did was scare you," she'd said. "You run away from things when you're scared."

The words had stung, but Percy found some truth to them. Experiences with Annabeth had taught him things he'd never known about himself. She was his better side, his rational half. She'd been there when he found out his parentage, when he'd lost his mom, when Grover had been missing. She had stuck up for him, and he had been more than happy to return the favor.

It wasn't until she'd almost died trying to save his life that Percy started to realize things. She'd known his fatal secret, even though he'd never told her of it. She had voluntarily jumped in front of him to save his sorry butt, fully aware of the consequences. He owed her. A lot.

And his growing suspicions became stronger when he talked to Rachel on Olympus. "I was drawn to you because you opened the door to all this," she'd said. "But you and me...that wasn't part of it. Our fates aren't intertwined." She'd paused. "I think deep down inside, you always knew that."

Maybe he had. Aphrodite could mess things up for him as much as she wanted, but all of a sudden, Percy KNEW who he would choose, as he had most likely known for a while. When both of them stood on Olympus as Luke died, they'd looked at each other, forgetting everything else for a moment. They were both filled with a sudden, absolute sureness that this was _right_. _This_ was what fate had in store for them.

And when Rachel had become the new Oracle of Delphi, she'd kissed him on the cheek and said, "I don't need to be the Oracle to tell you what to do next, do I?"

With one last fleeting smile, she walked away. She'd always be part of Percy's life, but maybe not as big a part as before.

All that mattered was that in the end, Percy had realized that it would always, _always_ come down to one girl.

Annabeth.

Maybe he really had liked her all along.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay, second chapter done. (: I already have an idea for the third chapter, so it should be up probably sometime this week, if I have time to write. Reviews are appreciated, as always. And I'm gonna try my hand at blackmailing: third chapter will not be posted until I get at least 10 reviews. I know, I know. I'm evil. (;

So before all of you rush off to review (because I know you're just _dying_ to at this point), I'd like to ask y'all to tell me what your favorite Percabeth fic is! I've been in a mushy kind of mood over the past few days, and I want something to read that I can just go "AWWWW!" over.

Leave your suggestions in your review. (;

And also check out my profile, if you wish. I updated it, yay.

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	3. Kiss

**Chapter Three: Kiss**

**Summary: **A history of Percy and Annabeth's first three kisses (well, four if you look at it a certain way). :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing! I wish I did, of course. But I don't. Which sucks. :(

* * *

_The first one._

It had been when they were both twelve, going on thirteen. It was a strange, spur-of-the-moment type of thing. Annabeth, fueled by her pride at her and Percy winning the chariot race, had simply pecked his cheek (much to the delight of the other campers). It had been nothing, just a sweet little moment shared between friends.

* * *

_The second one._

They were underneath Mt. St. Helens, watching in horror as telekhines constructed what would soon be the Titan Lord's weapon. Both knew that they would soon be discovered. Percy had turned to her. "Put your cap back on!" he'd exclaimed. "Get out!"

"What?" She'd protested. "No! I'm not leaving you."

Percy ignored that, and explained to her his plan, his plan that would involve her leaving and him staying behind. Annabeth was horrified. "But you'll be killed!"

"I'll be fine," he reassured her. "Besides, we've got no choice."

Annabeth had scowled at him, wanting to argue but knowing her attempts at convincing him to do otherwise would be futile. He had that determined look in his eyes, the look of a hero ready and willing to carry out his task. There would be no changing his mind.

Instead of punching him like she'd originally planned, she'd kissed him right on the lips. If this was the end (though Annabeth couldn't really be sure if it was, since Percy had quite the knack of getting himself out of sticky situations), Annabeth didn't want to leave him on a sour note. If this was the last memory she would have of them together, she didn't want it to be an unhappy one.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain," she murmured. And then she put on her invisibilty cap and left.

That memory stayed with her, stayed with her as she escaped from Mt. St. Helens, as she worried incessantly over what had become of him, as she realized that he was gone. He was not coming back.

It also stayed with her as she spoke at his funeral. His shroud, sea-green like his eyes, lay empty on a platform beside her. A tear trickled down her cheek. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had," she said, and she knew it was the truth. "He-"

She looked up, and saw him. She flushed slightly. Their eyes met, and happiness coursed through her veins.

He was here. He was _alive_.

And she allowed herself to run up to him and hug him tight, to heal the two weeks worth of pain she had undergone. It was a wonderful hug, but also the last time she would feel any real closeness to him for a while.

The days after his reappearance, things happened. Things that made her begin to wonder if that hug, that _kiss_, everything they'd been through - if that had ever meant anything to him at all.

* * *

_The third one._

But in the end, everything had turned out okay.

She'd brought a huge, misshapen blue cupcake to him. "Hey," she said. "Happy birthday."

He'd been surprised. "What?"

"August 18. Your birthday, right?"

He considered that. Annabeth didn't blame him for forgetting. There had been so much going on in the past few days, so much that had happened. So much that had _changed._ And yet, there they were. Still the same old Percy and Annabeth.

They shared the cake, eating in silence. Once they'd finished, Annabeth said, "You saved the world."

"_We_ saved the world," he'd corrected. Annabeth liked the sound of that word.

_We_.

She swallowed, and made a quick decision, a decision that could, just maybe, make this "we" a possibility.

"And Rachel is the new Oracle," she blurted, "which means she won't be dating anybody." Annabeth silently berated herself for that. Could she be any more obvious? Then again, this was Seaweed Brain she was talking to. She _had_ to be obvious.

Percy smiled, that brilliant smile that made her heart stop. "You don't seem too disappointed."

"Oh, I don't care," she quickly backtracked. But her heart fluttered inside her chest.

Percy didn't seem convinced. "Uh-huh," he said, in a way that let her know that he didn't buy it, not one bit. She raised an eyebrow. Why not take the leap? She was probably setting herself up for disappointment, but right now she didn't really care (though she probably would later). "Got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"

He smirked. "You'd probably kick my butt."

"You _know_ I'd kick your butt."

He kept his eyes away from hers, looking out at the sea. Maybe it was giving him strength to say what he was about to say, she hoped. Something that pertained to--

Annabeth paused that thought. She couldn't get ahead of herself just yet.

"When I was at the river Styx, turning invulnerable..." he began, still looking out at the sea, "Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."

"Yeah?" A bubble of hope started growing in Annabeth's chest.

"Then up on Olympus," he continued, "when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking-"

"Oh, you _so_ wanted to," she'd interrupted.

"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought - I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking..." He paused. Annabeth snuck a peek at his face. Was he trying to --?

She decided to give him a push in the right direction. "Anyone in particular?" she asked, her voice quiet. She could feel a smile fighting its way onto her face, but she struggled to remain serious. She didn't do a good job of it though. "You're laughing at me!" he'd accused.

"I am not!" she'd said, even though she was full-on smiling now.

"You are so not making this easy."

She let out a laugh. It was at that moment that Annabeth felt her heart swell, and she realized that this was _the_ moment. The moment she could take and mold into anything she wanted. The moment where she could do what she'd been wanting to do for a while now.

She turned toward him, with a grin, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I will never, _ever_ make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

She pressed her lips to his, and was overjoyed when he kissed back and pulled her closer. She didn't even get annoyed when suddenly a bunch of random campers appeared and threw them into the canoe lake (mostly because they got to continue their kiss underwater). He was hers now, and she was his. And it would stay that way for a very long time.

* * *

Their first two kisses had signified endings: the end of a chariot race (in which they were victorious), and what they thought was the end of their time together. But this last one signified a _beginning_. The beginning of their future. The beginning of what was to come.

The beginning of the rest of their lives.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! Wasn't that nice and fluffy? (;

Anyhooo, thanks to all that reviewed! All of you get.... virtual cookies! (We all like cookies, don't we? No food allergies or anything?)

Haha. So I'm already about halfway done with the next chapter. I think y'all will like it. This next one's not as serious as the previous ones. It'll be a bit more humorous. But DON'T WORRY! There should still be some fluff. (: I'll give you a hint about it: it involves dancing and pretty dresses (much to Annabeth's disliking). (;

No blackmail this time, since I probably won't be able to post the next chapter this week anyway, but I will try my best to have it up. (: Of course, I'll be busy the next few days: I have the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills) English Test tomorrow, which is like HUGE and super-important. Also, I have lots of homework, a geography test to study for, my daddy's getting surgery in a day or two, and I'm spending the night at a friend's house. So yeaaaah. Busy week.

But thanks again for all your wonderful reviews! Be sure to leave more, since, you know, I really appreciate them.... (:

xo, Alexa. (:


	4. Prom Part One

**Chapter Four: Prom**

**Part One**

**Summary: **Annabeth and Percy go to --you guessed it-- prom.

**Disclaimer:** I OWN EVERYTHING! MUAHAHAHAH! (P.S: it's opposite day.) :)

PS: If anyone wants image links, tell me and I'll post on my profile. (:

* * *

"--my gods, there's so many COLORS! How the _Hades_ do they expect you to be able to pick just one? I bet they realize that no one can pick a single one and they're just using this as a way to take money from clueless teenage girls! It's just so stupid--"

Percy stifled a groan. "Annabeth?"

"--and I don't even understand why I have to wear a dress. Can you imagine that? Me in a dress? I've never worn one in my _life_. Maybe I should just show up in a nice top and pants; you think that would work? No, that'd just look weird. But seriously, anything would be better than --"

"Annabeth."

"--me in a dress. And don't even get me started on hair and makeup. Oh gods Percy, I'm starting to wish I could have someone who would understand--"

"Annabeth!"

"What?" she snapped. Then she caught sight of the expression on his face. "Sorry. Was I rambling again?"

"Yes." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "You know, Annabeth, if you didn't want to go to prom with me so badly, you could've just told me."

Annabeth stomped her foot, causing the neighbors who lived in the apartment below to start loudly complaining. "But I _do_ want to go to prom with you!"

"Could've fooled me."

Annabeth sighed. "It's just that--I don't know. I mean, I've never been to a school dance before. I've never--"

"Well, it's fine. I mean, I don't--"

"Don't interrupt me! It's just that I don't _know_ how this stuff works!" With a strangled cry, she buried her head in her hands.

Percy now understood that the magnitude of this situation was quite serious, as under normal circumstances, Annabeth would _never_ admit she didn't know something.

"Hey," said Percy, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. We've fought all sorts of things before, like a hydra and some dracanae and all that stuff. If we can survive all that, I'm sure we can survive prom."

Annabeth considered that. "Well," she grudgingly admitted, "you're right, I guess. But a bunch of people will be staring at us! Judging us! Percy, you're nominated for prom king, for Zeus's sake!"

It was, amazingly enough, true. Ever since Percy's whole saving-the-world-gig was over and done with, he'd had a lot more time to focus on school. With the help of a certain super-smart daughter of Athena by his side, his grades had improved, allowing Percy to be eligible for athletics. Invulnerability was really handy these days, as it seemed to have magically improved Percy's athleticism, causing him to excel at many sports and become the stereotypical monster-fighting, half-blood jock often found in high schools across the country.

In other words, Percy had become a bit, er, popular.

Percy shrugged. "Well, if they want to stare at us, let them stare. It's not something I thought you would care so much about, anyway."

Annabeth sighed. "I know I'm being overly dramatic. But Percy...I just have no experience with stuff like this whatsoever!" She dropped her head back into her hands.

Percy shoved her arm playfully. "Oh come on, Wise Girl. It's not that hard. You just find a pretty dress, I'll find a tux, you go to the salon to get your hair or nails done or whatever, I'll pick you up, and we'll go!" He grinned triumphantly at his plan.

"Easier said than done, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth griped. Then she rolled her eyes. "But I suppose there's no harm in trying," she

admitted.

"That's the spirit!"

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

Percy stood in the lobby of Annabeth's dorm building, twiddling his thumbs. He felt a little strange, being a guy in a girls' dorm wearing a tux. The stares and giggles emanating from the girls who spotted him didn't exactly help his plight either, as it made him slightly more uncomfortable.

The plan was for Percy to pick Annabeth up, bring her back to his apartment for what his mother referred to as a "mandatory photo op", then drive to Goode High for, well, prom.

Percy hadn't exactly been happy about the plan his mom had formulated for his night. It was HIS prom, not hers. "Is the photo session really necessary?" he'd asked. "There'll be a photographer there, you know."

His mom, Sally, scoffed in indignation. "You think I'm going to let my only son go to prom without taking some pictures?"

"But _mom_--"

After a few minutes of arguing, it became clear to Percy that his mother would not back down. "Fine," he huffed. "We'll take some pictures. But couldn't she just drive here instead? It would save gas."

His mom smacked him on the arm, earning an "ow!" from Percy. "Perseus Jackson! I thought I taught you better than that. The boy always, _always_ picks up the girl. It's just the way things are. Make her drive herself here and you'll just appear rude!"

So that was how Percy came to be waiting in Annabeth's dorm building's lobby. He wondered fleetingly if she would take any longer; they were short on time as it was.

It was then that the elevator doors opened in the distance, and Percy saw a sight that led him to believe he'd died and gone to Elysium.

She wore a black silk one-shoulder dress with sparkly silver embellishments along the neckline and waist. The hem of her skirt reached her ankles, and showed off a pair of dainty black sandals. Her curly blonde hair was pulled up into an intentionally messy updo, with wisps of hair escaping from the bun. The owl earrings that Percy had always liked hung from her ears. Her eyes were rimmed with a smattering of silver eyeshadow, her lips glossed to perfection. She looked as if she glowed from within.

And the look on her face suggested that she felt absolutely miserable.

Percy could only gape as she walked toward him, her graceful gait emphasized by her beautiful clothing. When she reached him, she smiled briefly. "Hey."

"A-Annabeth," Percy stammered. "You look, uh--"

"Like an idiot?" Annabeth finished. She sighed. "I know. I didn't plan on wearing anything like this at all, but my new roommate just so happens to be a daughter of Aphrodite, and, well, they're a force to be reckoned with. It's only for one night, though, so i suppose that's okay." She grimaced slightly.

"....Actually," said Percy, "I was going to say you looked stunning."

Annabeth flushed a little, feeling surprised yet flattered. She looked down to hide her blush and straightened his bow tie. "You look rather dashing yourself, Percy Jackson." She kissed him on the cheek, ignoring the groans of "nooooo! they're _dating_!" from the eavesdropping girls in the vicinity. "Come on, we don't want to keep your mom waiting," she said.

"I want to," Percy muttered.

Annabeth laughed. "You're such a seaweed brain," she playfully exclaimed as she tugged on his hand. "At least your mom will be happy to see us in all our finery."

"Which makes one of us."

Annabeth laughed and rolled her eyes. "This whole prom thing was _your_ idea, remember?"

"Well, yeah. But not the whole photoshoot thing!" Percy complained.

"Whatever." Annabeth laughed and pulled Percy out the door.

* * *

"Oh! You two look so fantastic!" Percy's mom cooed as her son and his girlfriend entered her apartment. She immediately started snapping pictures at a rate that would've put any professional photographer to shame. Percy spotted Paul lurking in the corner, looking slightly amused. "Help me, please," Percy beseeched.

Paul chuckled. "Even I'm not dumb enough to get in the way of your mother, Percy."

"And he's smart not to," said Percy's mom, finally ceasing her frantic picture-taking. She grinned at Annabeth. "Annabeth, dear, you look absolutely gorgeous!"

Annabeth smiled bashfully. "Thank you, Mrs. Blofis. Although most of the credit should go to my friend. She's a daughter of Aphrodite, and, well..." She shrugged. "They're good with clothes."

Percy's mom laughed. "Even without a daughter of Aphrodite to assist, I'm sure you would've looked amazing. Now--" she paused to look over the pictures she had taken "--more photos!"

Percy groaned. "Mom!"

She paid him no heed. "Okay," she said, "stand right over here--yes, that's perfect. Now hug. Okay, great. Now Percy, give her a kiss on the cheek or something..."

Percy frowned a little at his mom. Obviously, he wouldn't mind kissing Annabeth, but PDA in front of his parents always made him uncomfortable. Then again, this would be nothing compared to kissing Annabeth in front of their godly parents...

But still.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him. "What are you waiting for, Seaweed Brain? Give me a kiss."

Despite the slight awkwardness he felt, Percy kissed Annabeth on the cheek, much to the delight of his mother.

"OH! That is just so CUTE! I'd love to take more, but..." she checked her watch. "It's best if you get going now." She turned to Paul. "I'm assuming you're not chaperoning tonight?"

Paul shook his head. "Nope." He winked at Percy and Annabeth. "You two kids have fun tonight." Then he gave them a stern look. "But not _too_ much fun, all right?"

Percy and Annabeth each turned a flattering shade of tomato red. "Okay, s-sir," Percy managed to splutter.

Percy's mom gave them both a hug. "He's just kidding," she said dismissively. "Go now. Have a great time. Be back at the time we discussed!"

With that, she shooed them out the door.

* * *

**A/N: **Ahhh, I'm so sorry for the semi-long wait. I was trying reaaaaally hard to finish this, but it's getting really long so I'm going to have to split it in half like I originally planned. Second part will be up soon though, I promise . (:

On the brighter side of things, it's SPRING BREAK BABYYYY! Are y'all going anywhere cool? I'm not going anywhere this year, but last year I went to Hawaii. Best vacation ever. (:

Anyway please please please review! I'd like to know what you think of this so far. (: And thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! Some of your comments really make me smile, especially Percabeth Supporter () who's always been so sweet in their reviews! Shoutout to you! (:

One more thing: There's something that's been really bothering me lately, and it's that I'm trying to find this Percabeth fic that I read over the summer but forgot to favorite. I don't remember what it's called, just that it was a series of oneshots/drabbles and had the line "She didn't look like a mother, and he didn't look like a father, but they loved each other, and that was all that mattered". Or something like that. Weird, I know, but that's the only thing I remember about it. xD

So if one of you could help me, _I would love you so much_. No lie.

That's all for now. Bye (:

xo, Alexa!


	5. Prom Part Two

**Chapter Four: Prom**

**Part Two**

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* * *

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"Can't say I'm not happy that _that's_ over," said Percy as he and Annabeth left his apartment.

"She's not _that_ bad, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth laughed. "Besides--" She stopped speaking abruptly and gaped at the street in front of Percy's building. "What the heck?"

"Where's my car?!" Percy demanded, as he stared at the shiny white limo that had taken the place of his Camry.

Wait. _Shiny white limo?_

That could only mean one thing, Percy thought with dismay.

The door opened, and out popped a beautiful woman, clad in a sparkly white dress that matched the color of the limo. "Awwwww, look at you two!!!!!" she cooed. "All dressed up and ready to go to prom. It's just so _cute!_"

"Lady Aphrodite...." Annabeth managed. "What are you doing here?"

"And where's my car?" Percy repeated.

"Percy, your car will reappear... er, sometime soon. And Annabeth," she said, batting her eyelashes innocently, "Can a goddess not check on her two favorite demigods right before they're about to attend the biggest event of their high school career?"

Percy frowned. "But the teachers always tell us that the biggest event of our high school career is gradua--"

"Nonsense!" Aphrodite batted the air with a perfectly manicured hand. "Prom is what you and everyone else around you will remember for the rest of your life. Graduation-schmaduation. This is _so _much more important! It's a defining moment. It's simply fabulous!" She giggled. "And what better way to kick off this night than to arrive in style?" She gestured grandly toward the white limousine.

Annabeth's eyes practically bugged out of her head. "You're...letting _us..._ use your limo?"

Aphrodite clapped a hand to her chest. "Are you _trying _to make me change my mind? No, you two go ahead! You two _are _my favorite demigod couple at the moment, so why not? Go on! Have a great time! Make everyone jealous! Whatever it is you mortals do!"

Percy and Annabeth were both speechless. A short while later, they regained their mental capacities and managed to simultaneously blurt out a series of thank yous.

"Enough, enough." Aphrodite waved her hand again. "Now go! Have the night of your life," she said with a wink, right before disappearing in a cloud of bubble-gum pink, Juicy Couture perfume-scented smoke.

Annabeth and Percy exchanged glances, both wondering if this was reality or just some sort of bizarre hallucination that they had managed to cook up in their overactive minds.

Only one thing was for certain: this was turning out to be an interesting night.

* * *

Being taken to prom in a driverless white limo was probably the most terrifying and awesome experience Percy had ever had in his life.

He and Annabeth clutched to each other in the backseat as the limo circled around cars, hurtled through traffic lights, and nearly rammed into unsuspecting pedestrians as it took them to Goode High. Their journey ended when the limo screeched to an abrupt halt in front of their destination, drawing curious stares from the dressed-up couples milling about the entrance.

Percy and Annabeth scrambled out of the vehicle, and it tore away once Percy slammed the door. Percy breathed out. "That...was fantastic."

"I disagree," Annabeth squeaked. "One more millisecond in there, and I may have started projectile vomiting."

"But you didn't," said Percy. "And we're here, in one piece."

"Barely."

"But we are."

"Well, I guess you have a point."

With that, they entered the school.

The Goode High prom committee had gone all out this year. The gym was completely transformed. Sheets of white silk lined the walls, and streamers hung from the ceiling. White roses covered every available surface. Being one of the prom king candidates, Percy was required to make a grand entrance through a garland of said white roses, and he did so arm-in-arm with Annabeth, to an array of camera flashes from the yearbook/newspaper photographers as well as quite a few staring faces.

Annabeth held onto Percy's arm in a vicelike grip, and he certainly would have been uncomfortable if it wasn't for his invulnerability. Percy noticed that although Annabeth tried to _look_ like she was enjoying herself, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her posture was somewhat stiff. He smiled to himself. Although Annabeth would disagree with him, he'd always thought she was the braver out of the two. And yet here she was, oddly self-conscious, and Percy found that quite adorable. Fighting monsters and helping to save the world? No problem! But walking through a crowd of people? Gulp.

Mere minutes after entering the gym, Percy was accosted by a variety of people. A few large, weightlifter-looking guys clomped Percy on the back in greeting. Someone from the newspaper staff came over to say hi. A few of the nerdier bunch eyed him with slight trepidation. And, to Annabeth's distaste, a gaggle of scantily clad girls giggled and batted their eyelashes in his direction. One of them broke away from the crowd and strode over to Percy, practically knocking Annabeth aside with her sharp elbows. She was skinny and unnaturally tan, with blonde highlights and teeth so white they appeared blue. "Heeeey, Percy," she cooed, planting a kiss on his cheek. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. Percy, sensing the tension, quickly pulled Annabeth forward. "Uh, hey Shelby," he managed. "This is Annabeth. My _girlfriend_." He couldn't help emphasizing the word girlfriend, Annabeth noticed with some satisfaction.

Shelby stiffened slightly. "Girlfriend, huh?" She turned towards Annabeth and gave her a once-over. Annabeth lifted her chin and looked Shelby straight in the eye. As Shelby sized her up, Annabeth unconsciously did the same. The girl was pretty, but in an artificial way. She seemed to reek of arrogance, and Annabeth tried not to wrinkle her nose.

Shelby stepped back. "Hmmm," she murmured. "Well, Percy, I guess I'll get to have my dance with you later tonight. You know, since we're shoo-ins for prom king and queen." She winked and blew him a kiss. "See ya," she said, as she strutted off.

Percy looked down at Annabeth, who was watching Shelby's retreating figure with narrowed eyes. "Sorry about that," he said.

"How long has she been after you? You didn't say anything about _her_," Annabeth said frostily.

Percy sighed. "Again, sorry. It's just that she's been chasing after me basically the whole year. It's getting to be pretty annoying. She just won't accept the fact that I'm taken, even though I've told her a million times." He grinned. "When she saw you, it probably scared her off a little though."

This surprised Annabeth out of her daydream, in which she was gleefully feeding Shelby's entrails to a hydra. "What do you mean?"

Percy shrugged. "I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about girls. You know I don't. But even I know enough to see that the way you look tonight is giving every girl in this room a run for her money."

Silence.

Percy, unnerved by Annabeth's lack of response, looked down to gauge his girlfriend's reaction and saw that she was trying not to laugh. "What?" he asked. "That was supposed to be a compliment!"

"It was sweet," replied Annabeth. "But a little too corny. Try again."

Percy groaned. "I can never win, can I?"

"Nope." She kissed him on the cheek.

A few awkward dances later, during which both Percy and Annabeth concentrated solely on not stepping on each other's feet, the time came for the title of Prom King and Prom Queen to be announced. Annabeth's eyes wandered over to the side of the stage, where Shelby's comrades were acting like a personal team of stylists: one was teasing her hair, another was smoothing her dress, and another was hurriedly applying a fresh coat of lip gloss. Annabeth scoffed. "Even Aphrodite's kids aren't as bad as that."

A tall, gangly guy stepped up on stage towards the mic. "All right!" he announced. "I have just received the results for your prom king and queen!"

His words were met by a rousing cheer. Annabeth squeezed Percy's hand.

"Will the nominees for prom king and prom queen please assemble on stage?"

Percy walked up to the platform, along with a group of other athletic looking guys. He winked at her as he took his place onstage. Annabeth smiled in return. Shelby, who was positioned on the opposite end of the platform, noted this exchange with some dissatisfaction.

"Now," boomed the emcee, "the moment you've all been waiting for. Your 2010 Goode High Prom King is--" he consulted an index card "--PERCY JACKSON!"

There was loud applause and cheers. Annabeth felt a glimmer of pride, which disappeared abruptly as soon as she saw a tacky monstrosity of a crown being lowered onto Percy's head. She almost burst out laughing, and it looked like Percy was trying not to laugh as well.

"AAAAAND your 2010 Goode High Prom Queen," the emcee continued, "is...SHELBY SMITH!"

There was more applause, a little less enthusiastic this time. Shelby squealed -- a sound causing Annabeth to liken her to a pig -- and walked over to center stage, where an even tackier tiara, adorned with pink feathers at its base, was lowered onto her head. She grinned and waved like some sort of pageant winner, and her face turned gloating when she spotted Annabeth. Like that bothered Annabeth. There were so many things that ranked higher in importance to sordid high school popularity games such as this, a fact which Shelby had clearly not been able to comprehend in her pea-sized brain. Annabeth shot Shelby a smile, in the hopes that it would confuse her. It did. _There_, thought Annabeth. _That'll give her something to wonder about for the rest of the week._

After posing for pictures, the emcee spoke up. "And now it's time for the prom king and queen to have their dance!" he announced. More cheers. People scooted backwards as Percy and Shelby stepped off the stage and onto the dance floor. A song, somewhat slow in tempo, started playing.

Shelby clutched onto Percy as she danced, basically throwing herself on him. She shot Annabeth another smug look. Annabeth summoned her famous glare, the one she had inherited from her mother, Athena, and delivered it in Shelby's direction. Shelby's smile faltered a bit, which Annabeth found slightly amusing.

Percy, who obviously was a bit perturbed by Shelby's advances, caught sight of Annabeth's expression. His face took on a different expression of its own, an expression that often appeared on his face when he was making a plan. He whispered something in Shelby's ear, his eyes on Annabeth.

Shelby froze midstep. "_What_?" she mouthed. Percy whispered something again. Shelby's mouth popped open in disbelief. Then she scowled and wrenched herself away from Percy. She stomped off, making a face at Annabeth as she did so. Annabeth merely smiled, although she was a bit confused herself as to what Percy's intentions were.

The crowd was whispering amongst themselves, wondering what had just happened and what Percy was planning to do. Their eyes followed him as he walked over to that tall, beautiful girl whom they didn't know, with golden blonde hair and gray eyes. "May I have this dance?" he asked her.

Annabeth stepped closer to him. "Seaweed Brain," she chuckled, "what are you doing?"

"Well, I figured that if I was going to have to do some more dancing, it might as well be with someone that I actually _want_ to dance with," he explained, his green eyes peering into her grays.

Annabeth couldn't help but smile. She wrapped her arms around Percy's neck, and he gently guided her to the center of the dance floor. As they swayed in time to the music, Percy leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Did I do better this time?"

A smile graced Annabeth's lips. "A little better," she admitted. "But there's still room for improvement."

Percy's eyes twinkled. "That's what I thought."

As Annabeth lay her head on Percy's shoulder and breathed in his familiar ocean-like scent, she realized that maybe, just maybe, prom wasn't as horrific as she'd expected.

* * *

**A/N**: YAY! I'm finally finished. (: What did y'all think? Did you love it? Hate it? Leave your thoughts in a review!

Oh, and just out of curiosity, does anyone have a Twitter? If so, follow me! My username is AlexaLovesYou. (:


	6. Link

**Chapter Five: Link**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything! Well, I did own Shelby from the last chapter. But that's about it. :(

* * *

It was over. They had won.

Camp Half-Blood was in a state of celebration. Of course, it was bittersweet as well; there had been so many lives lost that being completely happy was an impossibility. Still, everyone was relieved that the stress of the last few days was gone for good, and they owed it all to Percy Jackson.

Percy had achieved rockstar status within less than a day, and the fervor with which younger demigods gathered around Percy to hear him recount what had happened was something that amused Annabeth.

As Percy told yet again the story of what had happened on Olympus, Annabeth distanced herself from Percy and his somewhat bloated ego to look for Chiron. She had been meaning to ask him about something, something that she had been thinking about for the past few hours.

What had been on her mind pertained to an event that had happened in the labyrinth last summer, when she, Percy, Grover, Tyson, and Rachel witnessed Lord Pan, god of the Wild, fade away. Before he had passed, he had told them each individually something important. To Percy he had said, "When the time comes, you will not be ruled by fear." To Rachel he had said something about how she was just as important as her father. And to Annabeth, he had said, "You will play a great role, though it may not be the one you imagined."

What had that meant?

Now that the big war was over and done with, Annabeth wanted answers to her questions. So she went in search of Chiron.

She found him on the porch of the Big House, basking in the sunlight. He was still nursing some injuries that he had received earlier in the day, but other than that he looked happy. He smiled when he saw Annabeth. "Hello, Annabeth. I must say, it is much more pleasant to be in your presence than in that of my cousins." He shuddered.

Annabeth managed a laugh. "Surely they're not that bad."

Chiron sighed slightly. "Well, not too bad. Just a little too...hyperactive, for lack of a better word. But enough about my cousins. Tell me dear, what do you wish to speak to me of?" he inquired.

"Well, Chiron, I wanted to ask your opinion on something. I think you're aware of the fact that last year, in the Labyrinth, we met Pan," Annabeth began.

Chiron nodded. "Yes. Carry on."

"Pan told each of us things before he faded away. I'm not sure if you knew that. But something that I've been thinking about for the past few hours is what he told me. He said to me, 'You will play a great role, though it may not be the one you imagined.'" Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "Chiron, I'm just curious...what do you think he meant?"

Chiron considered that. "First of all, Annabeth, what was the role you _did_ imagine?"

Annabeth looked down. "I.... I honestly don't know anymore. I guess that I wanted to be able to stop Kronos and save Luke myself, since no one else believed in him anymore." She paused. "I was foolish to think that."

"Foolish? I disagree," said Chiron. "Grover briefed me on what happened on Olympus. It seems that you really did make a difference, in the end. You reminded Luke of what he had promised. It helped him to find the strength to regain control of himself."

"I suppose," Annabeth said softly. "But do you really think that's what Lord Pan meant?"

Chiron thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly. "No, my dear. I believe that Pan was referring to the fact that you are the link between the opposing sides of this war."

Annabeth blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"The _link. _Annabeth, you must know by now that you meant a lot to Luke. As I said before, it was you who made him realize what he had done, and what he could do to atone for it. You have known Luke for a number of years, and have made impacts on each other's lives. He could not easily forget you."

Annabeth said nothing.

"On the other hand, Annabeth, you also mean a great deal to Percy. I see it in the way he looks at you." Annabeth blushed. Chiron chuckled. "Perhaps neither of you are aware of this," he continued, "but you have been a factor in many of Percy's greatest decisions. For example, I would not doubt that you were one of the reasons he turned down godhood.

"My point is, you are the one thing both sides of this war had in common. Both leaders of these opposing sides have had some sort of connection with you. You have influenced this war more than you are aware of, Annabeth. I think Lord Pan foresaw that."

There was a long silence. Annabeth found herself struggling for words. "I think...that make sense," she finally said. "Thank you, Chiron."

She turned to walk away, then paused. After a few moments, Annabeth looked back.

"Do...do you really think I mean that much to him?" she asked, tentative.

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "Him?"

"Them! I meant them."

Chiron smiled. "You underestimate yourself, Annabeth. I _know_ that you are important to them. It is your choice, however, whether you choose to act on that." His eyes twinkled as he said so, and as Annabeth walked away, she pondered what he had said. When the realization came to her, she almost immediately knew what she had to do.

Annabeth wandered around camp until she saw a large, hulking figure. She smiled to herself.

"Hey Tyson," she called. "Wanna help me bake a cake for Percy's birthday?"

* * *

**A/N:** I know, not as fluffy as you would've liked. But I'm starting to run out of ideas. Leave me your suggestions in a review!

xoxo, Alexa. (:

By the way: does anyone watch Gossip Girl?! Were you not upset by the ending of tonight's episode? UGH!


	7. Eyes

**Chapter Six: Eyes**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except for the delicious pint of Cookies & Cream ice cream that I am devouring hungrily as I type this. Yummmm.

* * *

_His were green._

She'd always thought his eyes were one of his best features.

They were a shade of viridian not seen anywhere besides the sea. Occasionally, they would change color, turning as dark and murky as the ocean floor. But most of the time, they were the same shade as the calm waters of the Long Island Sound, glistening under the sunlight.

Usually his eyes would be wide and confused, making him appear as more of a seaweed brain then he already was. But there were other moments too, moments when his eyes seemed somewhat deep. Intuitive, even. His eyes were like the sea not only in appearance but in how readable they were. Sometimes they were closed off and distant, and other times they were vibrant and full of emotion, like bravery or sorrow or hope. Those times, she would be able to look into his eyes and know exactly what he was feeling.

She loved his eyes the most when he smiled. They would sparkle in a way that would brighten up his whole face. And when he looked at her, both right before and right after they'd kiss, his eyes would fill up with such...care. Tenderness. It wasn't fair whenever he looked at her like that, because it always caused Annabeth to feel weak in the knees.

Maybe she didn't really mind that, though.

* * *

_Hers were gray._

Truthfully, her eyes were kind of scary.

At least, that's what he thought when he first met her. At first glance, she appeared to be a stereotypical California girl with the usual long, toned legs, tanned complexion, and wavy blonde hair. But her eyes told a different story. They were an intense shade of gray, like the storm clouds brewing in the distance. They were cold and calculating, and quite intimidating. Percy got the feeling this was _not_ a girl he should mess with.

Regardless, he did so anyway, fully aware of the fact that his antics annoyed her to no end.

After a while, he became used to those intimidating eyes. Sometimes he would even catch a glimpse of tolerance in them, as if she didn't think he was such a bad guy after all. Other times she would deliver to him a withering glare that made him feel a little sick. Most of the time she would stare at him as if he were crazy. Maybe he was. But it was fun to keep her on her toes.

At the same time, she had such a huge effect on him that it was quite insane. One look from her, and she could make or break his whole day. It was quite outrageous, but he guessed it was kind of expected. He'd always known, albeit subconsciously, that something like this strange dependency they had on each other was bound to happen.

After all, they were trying to build something permanent, weren't they?

* * *

The way they looked at each other over the years told a story, a story of hate, dislike, eventual friendship, and love. From their prospective meeting to their budding relationship, their first kiss to their last glimpse, they looked into each other's eyes and were able find what they needed...and so much more.

_His were green. Hers were gray._

That was how it was. And that was how it would always be.

* * *

**A/N**: I don't think that even made sense...but whatever. I tried. xD Sorry about the shortness; I'll try to make the next one longer!

So, anyways, you guys know the drill: review! and also you guys have been giving me some really good ideas, so continue with that please (:

Xoxo, Alexa. (:


	8. Ouch

**Chapter Seven: Ouch**

**Summary:** Percy and Annabeth engage in an intense slapping game. xD

**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO. How awesome would it be if I did, though?

* * *

"Green one!" Annabeth reached over and lightly tapped her boyfriend on the small of his back.

"Ouch!" Percy groaned. "Don't _do_ that! And especially not while I'm driving!"

Annabeth shrugged. "It's fun," she said, by way of explanation.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Whoever invented this idea of smacking someone whenever they see a Volkswagen should rot in the Fields of Punishment."

Annabeth whistled. "Harsh, even for you. Besides, I didn't even smack you. It was just a tiny little tap on the back."

"On the SMALL of my back. Which, as you know, happens to be the very root of my mortality--"

Percy was cut off as Annabeth yelled, "Blue one!" and tapped said spot again.

"OUCH! Gods, Wise Girl! If this continues, I'm going to have to file a report with the police about domestic violence. Or whatever you call it."

Annabeth snorted. "Like they would believe that big, strong Percy Jackson--"

"Big and strong?" Percy grinned.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You better not let that get to your head. Your ego is inflated enough as it is. As I was saying, no one would believe that _you_ could possibly be beat up by _me_, sweet, innocent Annabeth Chase." She fluttered her eyelashes.

"You? Sweet? No way," Percy scoffed. He cast a sideways glance at her and raised an eyebrow suggestively. "And _definitely_ not innocent."

Annabeth's cheeks flushed, but she refused to let go of her argument. "But you see my point."

"Well, yes, but--"

"Shhhh!" Annabeth shushed him. When he looked at her in confusion, she smiled innocently. "That's all I needed to hear."

Percy sighed. "What? Did you just want to hear that you were, once again, right?"

"You know it."

There was a silence, punctuated only by their breathing, the thrum of the car's engine, and the whizz of nearby traffic.

And then...

"RED ONE!" Percy and Annabeth yelled in unison. They started frantically flailing at each other, causing Percy to swerve slightly and the car behind them to honk in protest. Before correcting the alignment of his vehicle, he managed to swipe Annabeth on the arm. "Ha- HA!" he cackled. "Success!"

This bout of happiness was stifled when Annabeth tapped him yet again on his weak spot.

"OW! That was SO not fair! I smacked you first!" Percy protested.

"Oh, all right," said Annabeth, giving in. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, causing Percy to swerve again, but for a completely different reason. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Does that make it better?"

"A little," he admitted. "But not completely."

Annabeth shoved him playfully on the arm. "Just drive, Seaweed Brain."

"What do you think I'm doing right now?"

Annabeth laughed and leaned back into her seat, letting the warm rays of sunlight permeate through her clothes and warm her skin. She was here, riding in a car with the boy she loved, with not a care in the world. Life was pretty good.

And it was about to get better, she thought, as she spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

She tapped the small of his back again. "White one!"

"OUCH! Since when were there so many Volkswagens on the road?!"

Annabeth didn't know, and she didn't really care either.

* * *

**A/N**: YAY! What a nice happy Percabeth moment, haha. (: I had fun writing this! It was actually inspired by that Volkswagen commercial, where they slap each other whenever they see a Volkswagen. I know you're only supposed to do it when it's a Beetle, but whatever. (:

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! If I can get at least ten (and maybe even fifteen?!) more, that would make me happy (:

xoxo, Alexa!


	9. Ring

**A/N: **Um, yeah, so my profuse apologies for being absent from the fanfiction world for so long will be _after_ the story, since I don't want you guys to wait any longer than necessary to read what's coming next.

Also, I promise I'll update more often because school is out (meaning I have waaaay more free time on my hands). (:

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Ring**

**Summary: **Percy searches for the perfect engagement ring for Annabeth.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

Percy stumbled through the streets of New York City, towards yet another jewelry store. It had been the same routine for the past few weeks: he would tell Annabeth he was going to get groceries, she would give him a list of things to buy, and he would venture out of the apartment and make his way to Zales' or some other fine jewelers' where there might possibly be a perfect engagement ring, waiting to be bought. However, these little adventures to jewelry stores always ended with Percy not making a purchase. And quite frankly, Percy was getting tired of it.

He entered the store, looking around sheepishly at the glittery baubles inside the display cases. A salesperson approached him, grinning widely. "Hello, sir," she said. "Who are you shopping for today?"

"I'm looking for an engagement ring," he replied. "For my girlfriend."

"Ah," said the saleslady. "An engagement ring. Right this way, sir."

As the saleslady babbled about the wide selection of rings the store had to offer, Percy surveyed the rings with a practiced eye. His numerous visits to jewelry stores had taught him, somewhat, what to look for. He knew Annabeth wouldn't like something overly glitzy or glamorous; she wasn't that type of girl. So he averted his eyes away from the more spectacular rings and looked towards the simpler ones. He had to make sure he didn't get one that was _too_ simple, though. Although Annabeth claimed she didn't care, he knew she did deep down inside.

Plus, he wanted to spoil her a little bit.

His eyes landed on an unfussy square cut diamond towards the back of the display. He pointed at it. "Can I see that one?"

The saleslady handed the ring to him, and he examined it carefully. The band was a polished sterling silver, and there were small, intricate carvings around the base of the diamond. Straightforward and uncomplicated, but with an elegant touch.

It was perfect.

Percy deliberated for a few minutes. Finally he looked at the saleslady and smiled slightly. "I'll be buying this one," he finally said.

* * *

Percy walked home, with the small velvet box containing what was probably the most important purchase of his life nestled in his pocket. Although the price of it had definitely put a dent in his bank account (he still wasn't sure how he was going to explain that to Annabeth), it was definitely worth it.

_She _was definitely worth it.

With a somewhat giddy smile on his face, Percy made his way to his building, took the elevator, and went inside his apartment. Annabeth, who was seated on the couch with Daedulus' laptop on and a flurry of notes scattered about her, looked up and greeted Percy with a grin. "Well, hello there, Seaweed Brain." She gave him a once-over and frowned slightly. "Where are the groceries?"

_Crap! The groceries!_ Percy felt around in his pocket and found, underneath the engagement ring box, the grocery list Annabeth had given him prior to his departure to the jewelry store. Trying to hide his panic, Percy started to head back towards the door. "I'll, uh, be right back..."

Annabeth grabbed onto his sleeve, effectively stopping him in his tracks. "Percy," she repeated. "Where are the groceries?"

Gods, she was terrifying. Percy looked around wildly. "Oh, I, uh, I kind of forgot them-"

"_Forgot_ them?" Annabeth said incredulously. "What were you doing out, then?"

"Oh, nothing! I was just taking a walk-"

"Percy! I'm serious. Where were you?"

Percy tried to speak, but no words left his lips.

Annabeth stared at him. "Percy...were you _with_ somebody?"

His eyes widened. "No! No! I swear! I wasn't with anybody!"

"Then why won't you tell me where you were?" Her gray eyes took on a mixture of pain and anger. "Why are you _lying_ to me?"

"Annabeth..." Percy started.

She scowled. "Forget it." She slammed the laptop closed, and then grabbed a jacket and keys. "_I'm_ going to go 'take a walk' now."

Percy was alarmed. "But Annabeth, it's already dark out. You probably shouldn't-"

Annabeth glared at him, her nostrils flaring. "_Don't_ tell me what I should or shouldn't do."

With that, she pushed him out of the way, opened the door, and slammed it shut.

Percy leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and looked up. "Here goes nothing..." he whispered.

He opened the door and ran after Annabeth.

"Annabeth, _wait,_" he yelled.

She stopped.

He crept closer. "Fine, then. Do you really want to know why I was out?"

She made no reply.

"I was buying an engagement ring," he said quietly.

Silence.

The moment seemed to stretch on forever. Percy's nerves were on fire, waiting to see what Annabeth's reaction would be. What if she said no? What if she smacked him in the face? What if she ignored him and just walked away?

She turned around slowly, surprise apparent on her face. Gray eyes met green. "An engagement ring?" she repeated slowly.

"An engagement ring," he confirmed.

More silence.

Percy took a deep breath and walked until he was right in front of her. "I guess there's only one thing left to do now," he murmured.

He bent down on one knee and took the box out of his pocket. The grocery list that Annabeth had given him earlier fluttered out of his pocket, crumpled and forgotten.

Percy opened the box. "Annabeth Chase," he said. "Will you marry me?"

She continued to stare at him, her gray eyes wide.

_Oh gods, _Percy thought. _She's probably going to smack me_.

He nervously flashed his trademark grin at her, hoping it would provoke her to slap him already so it could just be over with.

She tackled him.

_Here it comes_, he thought.

Instead, Annabeth kissed him full on the lips. "Yes!" she exclaimed.

Percy stared at her. "_Yes_?"

"Of course!" She laughed. Then she raised an eyebrow. "Why? Were you expecting something different?"

"...uh, well, funny story-"

She threw her head back and laughed some more. "Just put the ring on my finger, Seaweed Brain."

He was happy to oblige.

* * *

**A/N: **Woohoo! There you go! Sorry if it sucks, but I haven't done a whole lot of writing since April, when I had to do a DBQ for geography. :P

Anyhoo, I am SO sorry for being gone for so long! School has just been REALLY REALLY busy for the past few months! Ever since we started nearing the end of the semester, teachers have been going crazy trying to squeeze everything in. I've been bombarded with tests, final exams, projects...so much STUFF. Eww. There's also been some good stuff too: I made yearbook staff, made A honor roll (not A/B honor roll, _A_ honor roll), got a guitar, went on vacation to Houston, survived my freshman year of high school... :D

And also, I made a Tumblr! If you want to follow, my Tumblr is heytherelexa . tumblr . com. (: I'll post the link on my profile in a bit, too.

So, I hoped you liked it! Please review (:

By the way: Who saw the MTV Movie Awards last night? Did you see Logan Lerman in the audience? Wasn't he cute? He's going to be my husband one day, just saying.

Also! Who's excited for the Glee finale tomorrow? I am!

* * *

*******IMPORTANT********

I plan to write a chapter about Percy and Annabeth having a kid. So, I have a question: should it be after they're married and stuff? Or should it be one of those scandalous teen pregnancies? **Please leave your answer in your review.** Thanks!


	10. Wife

**Chapter Nine**: Wife

**Summary**: Annabeth and Percy's long-awaited wedding day. Heart-to-heart conversations, big smiles, small appearances from some familiar characters, and fluffiness ensues. (:

**Disclaimer**: Hi. I don't own PJO. (Although there is a chance I may soon own the PJO DVD, if only for the chance to stare at the hotness that is Logan Lerman all day...sigh.)

* * *

Annabeth couldn't believe that in a mere half hour, she would be a married woman. In thirty minutes, she would belong to Percy Jackson. In thirty minutes, Percy Jackson would belong to her. The thought was surreal.

She stared blankly at her reflection in the oval-shaped full length mirror. Her golden curls were in a half-updo, with some of her hair piled on her head and the rest streaming down her shoulders. Her eye makeup was simple: some black mascara to set off her already luminous gray irises, and some soft glittery eyeshadow, which matched her skin tone. Her cheeks bore the tiniest bit of blush, and her lips were painted a pale, glossy pink.

Then there was the dress: an ivory colored silk number, shaped similarly to a Greek toga. It was pinned at the waist and fell in flowing heaps to the ground, where it trailed off into an elegant train. Annabeth had never been the kind of girl who enjoyed showy, spectacular things. She was more attracted to understated beauty, which was a quality that was embodied in her ensemble.

She exhaled roughly, her breath leaving a bit of moisture on the reflective glass. Her shoulders shook a little, and she wasn't sure if it was from nervousness, anticipation, or if she was just having an ADHD moment. She heard the door open behind her, and she resisted the urge to fall down onto the ground, grab at the knees of whoever had just entered, and have some sort of mental breakdown. No. This was certainly not the time. Thirty minutes - well, twenty-five minutes now - was surely not long enough a period of time to be having any panic attacks.

Instead, she turned her head toward the door, expecting to see Juniper, her friend Grover's wife, or perhaps Sally Blofis, Percy's mom, whom she'd enlisted to help plan the wedding (because while Annabeth was good at planning and mapping out things to be done, wedding planning wasn't really her strong suit). She hoped that whoever it was had her veil, as she didn't know where it was at the moment and was hoping that she hadn't lost it.

However, the figure standing in the doorway was definitely not Juniper or Mrs. Blofis.

"Hello, my daughter," said Athena.

Annabeth spun her whole body around and clutched at the corner of a small table in surprise. "Mother," she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

Athena smiled a little. "I figured that there was no harm in seeing my daughter, the architect of Olympus, get married." She held up the item Annabeth had been looking for. "Additionally, they needed someone to bring you your veil."

Annabeth smiled. "Mother...thank you." She took the veil from her and set it on her bureau. "Are..are there other gods here?"

Athena raised an eyebrow. "Quite a few, actually. Aphrodite is here, of course. She's been giggling practically the whole day. Ares is here, as Aphrodite's date, although he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. Hermes and Hestia are here. Apollo is here, acting as minister - I think he just got his certification online- but his real motivation is probably just to scope out any attractive women or make up a horrible haiku for your wedding toast. Dionysus is here too, because there's sure to be some wine in the vicinity. I don't expect Zeus to show up, but Hera will likely appear sometime later. And..." A slightly sour look crossed her face. "Poseidon is here."

"...oh," Annabeth managed to squeak. "Well, I'm extremely honored that so many gods have decided to present themselves here. But...why? This is only a wedding. A wedding of two demigods, yes, but a wedding."

Athena smiled. "We gods try not to forget about those who have done us a great service. Also, Aphrodite has not stopped talking about this event since you two got engaged."

"Hmm," mused Annabeth. "I suppose that makes sense."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

Athena sighed slightly. "Annabeth."

"Yes?"

"I know I have not been a good mother to you. Far from one, in fact. I was never there when it mattered. It is a problem that afflicts all gods and their relationships with their children - we can never directly interfere with them. Even if we could, we would likely never have the time to. The gods are a busy group. I know you understand that, but I must still apologize for my shortcomings."

"Mother, it's okay. I know that you couldn't help it. You don't have to apologize for that."

"But I must. And also, I feel I must offer you something. It is little compensation for a lifetime of my absence, but I hope you will take it."

Annabeth was wide-eyed. "What is it?"

"It is my blessing. The qualities you have that come from me - your wisdom, battle prowess, strategic skills - those qualities will be magnified whenever you need it the most. It is not a great gift, but it is the least I can give."

"Oh, mother. Of course I'll take it. Thank you." A small smile spread across her lips. "I was never very fond of great gifts anyway."

Athena smiled. "I know." She placed her hand on Annabeth's shoulder, and for an instant Annabeth felt rejuvenated. She felt alive. Athena removed her hand a while later. "Well, then," she murmured. "I must be off. This will be the last time that I will get to speak to you in private before you are married, so I suppose this is goodbye for now."

"Wait," said Annabeth. "Mother. I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Carry on."

She looked down. "I'm not sure how to say this. But..." Annabeth trailed off with slight trepidation. She fiddled with her long, silky skirt. Finally, she built up the strength to look her mother in the eye. "Are you...okay with how things turned out? Are you happy with how _I_ turned out?"

Athena looked straight back at her. "I will not lie. I cannot say that I am overjoyed that you are marrying this son of Poseidon. I cannot say that I approved of how close you two grew over the years. I will say, however, that he managed to defy the expectations I had of him." She smiled wryly. "That is not an easy task. I expected him to be the usual self-centered, dumb hero, the kind who thinks only for himself. But he managed to prove me wrong. I still do not completely approve of him - he is rash, impulsive, and reckless, all three of which are not superb qualities - but...I do believe he will take care of you. And as for your second question..." She paused. "I am very proud of how you turned out."

There were a few beats of silence. "Speaking of Perseus Jackson, I really ought to have a little talk with him," Athena mused.

"Uh, mother, that's not really necessary-"

Athena laid a hand on her daughter's arm. She smiled softly. "Farewell, daughter."

Athena left the room, leaving her awestruck daughter alone with her thoughts.

"Goodbye, mother," Annabeth whispered.

* * *

Clutching her veil, Annabeth quickly strode out into the hallway. She looked around at the people who were in the area - Percy's mom, her stepmother, Juniper (who seemed to be gulping water mixed with fertilizer), and Rachel (yes, THAT Rachel). They were all there, except for Athena, who was nowhere in sight. Besides her, the only other person missing was -

"Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed when she saw the dark haired, blue eyed girl approaching her.

Thalia grinned. Despite the fact that everyone else was dressed in pastels, Thalia had opted for a navy blue dress, chain-link bracelets, and combat boots. "Well, hello there Annabeth." She clutched her chest dramatically. "Look at you, all grown up and getting married to Kelp Face. Who would've known."

Annabeth laughed. "That's my soon-to-be husband you're insulting there, Thals, and I do believe that I should be the only one allowed to insult him. By the way, how have things been going with the Hunters?"

"Oh, they've been going fine. Artemis wasn't too happy when I told her that you wanted me to be your maid of honor, though. I don't think she has anything against you or Percy; I think she actually likes him a bit more than most men, which is saying something. But she still didn't want me to be part of one of those tragic ceremonies in which several young ladies with such potential give themselves up to selfish pigs.' Her words, not mine."

Annabeth laughed. "Well, _I_ don't think Percy is a selfish pig. And I'm sure Artemis likes him at least a little bit. If she didn't, she probably wouldn't have allowed you to be here at all."

"Point taken."

The duo glanced out the windows at the arriving groups of well-dressed people, which consisted chiefly of long-lost relatives that Annabeth couldn't quite recall meeting, coworkers, and a few old friends from camp: Clarisse and her husband Chris, the Stoll brothers and their girlfriends, and several more. Annabeth snorted a little. "There are so many demigods here. I wouldn't be surprised if my wedding day was crashed by an angry group of bloodthirsty hellhounds."

Thalia chuckled. "Silly Annabeth. Stop worrying. Monsters wouldn't dare to come here when there are gods around, and you know that Nico would take care of those hellhounds."

"I know, I know. It's just..." Annabeth cast her eyes towards the grandfather clock in the corner. "Ten minutes, Thals. I have ten minutes." The realization that she was _this_ _close_ to what she had been waiting for made her smile involuntarily. This was it. _This was it._

"Ten minutes is right, Annabeth!" Sally Blofis exclaimed, rushing toward the bride-to-be. "Oh, Annabeth! You're beautiful! And I can't tell you how glad I am that you're about to officially be my daughter! But I'll save the emotional stuff for later. Right now we need to get everyone in place! And you need to put that veil on!"

With that, Sally Blofis rushed back in the other direction.

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged glances.

"Well, I guess I should go take my place now. I shall see you later, Miss Chase." Thalia bowed with mock formality, then laughed. "That's the last time I get to call you that, of course."

Annabeth chuckled, but she could feel her eyes watering a little as she stared at her friend, the eternally fifteen year-old huntress. Suddenly she felt nostalgic. It seemed like just yesterday when she, Thalia, and Luke were fighting their way across America in an attempt to make it to Camp Half-Blood. And now...things were so different. Luke, the boy she'd thought she loved, was now a thing of the past, though he would always be a part of her. She had met Percy, whom she had disliked, befriended, fallen in love with, and now was about to marry. She had gone through several cycles of loss and love and friendship and life, and now, she was starting a new one. She was getting older, constantly changing, but Thalia would always be the same.

Annabeth pulled her friend into a tight, wordless hug, probably wrinkling both their dresses in the process, but she didn't really care. When they finally broke apart, she thought she saw a few tears in Thalia's electric blue eyes. But Thalia blinked them back and managed a toothy grin. "Don't you dare cry, bride-to-be." She put on a mock pouty face. "You might mess up your makeup."

Annabeth giggled. "I'll see you in a bit, Thalia."

Thalia grinned, gave her a small salute, then trudged off to take her position.

* * *

Alone, Annabeth took a quick detour to the bathroom, where she could stand in front of the mirror and put on her veil. It settled against the tip of her nose, blurring her strong but beautiful features. She took one last look at herself, then walked off to join the rest of the people waiting to enter the chapel.

Her father was there, waiting for her patiently. When they saw each other, they both broke into wide grins. Frederick Chase gave his daughter a warm hug. "Annabeth," he murmured, "look at you. All grown up. About to get married." He sighed. "In a few minutes, you won't be a Chase anymore."

She smiled. "I'll always be a Chase, dad. Maybe not legally, but...you get my point."

He smiled back. "I get your point."

One by one, the people in front of them started walking through the chapel doors, casting grins at Annabeth before they left. Finally, the wedding march started. Annabeth took her father's arm, and together they walked through the doors.

There were quite a few appreciative gasps and murmurs. Aphrodite practically squealed in delight. Ares scowled. Hestia's eyes held a look of warmth and comfort. Hermes smiled politely. Dionysus was looking for wine. Hera, who, being the goddess of marriage, was entitled to come despite her slight dislike of the bride, managed something that was probably intended to be a smile. Poseidon grinned the tiniest bit. Athena did too, although she could not summon the same enthusiasm as the rest of the guests.

But Annabeth had eyes only for the man waiting at the altar. His black hair, although slicked back, was still somewhat messy. His bowtie was the tiniest bit out of place. He looked a teeny bit nervous. But his face lit up when she entered the room. His bright green eyes, so full of life, twinkled. She was pretty sure her own eyes were twinkling too.

And then she was there. She kissed her father on the cheek. He smiled at his daughter, then gave Percy a playful "you-better-take-care-of- her" look before departing. Annabeth took Percy's hands and looked around her at all the familiar, smiling faces. Grover. Nico. Thalia. Then finally, she met the eyes of the man who she was about to marry.

Apollo cleared his throat. "So, dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to see these two totally awesome individuals get married..." he began.

The ceremony went on. The pair said their vows (which they had written in Ancient Greek, since that would be a heck of a lot easier for them to read than English). They exchanged rings (which were custom-made and totally awesome, compliments of Hephaestus).

"...blah, blah, blah, sickness and health, blah blah blah...okay! Do you, Annabeth Chase, take Perseus Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Apollo inquired.

"I do."

Apollo peered at her. "You sure?" He winked, so that only she could see it.

She gave him a strange look, slightly repulsed. "Of course."

"All right. Just checking." Apollo cleared his throat, and turned his gaze toward Percy, who had a suspicious glare on his face. "And do you, Perseus Jackson, take Annabeth Chase to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," he said, a tad bit defensive.

"All right!" Apollo grinned and clapped his hands in the air. "I now pronounce you man and wife! Woohoo! Now kiss the bride!"

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other, grins spreading across their radiant faces. Annabeth pulled Percy towards her. Percy lifted her veil, then circled his arms around her waist. They kissed, to the sound of thunderous applause, a snort from Ares, and polite, slightly strained clapping from Athena and Poseidon.

Apollo cleared his throat again, and spread his arms wide. Annabeth and Percy broke apart and exchanged horrified glances. Oh no. They knew what this meant.

Apollo was about to make a haiku.

"I now present you

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson.

I enjoy weddings."

There was a lull in applause. The beaming Apollo didn't seem to notice though, because that haiku was pretty fantastic, if he did say so himself.

As the newly married couple stood beside the altar, facing their audience, streams of people started to come toward them. Percy and Annabeth were quickly swept up in tearful embraces, warm handshakes, and happy smiles. Laughter and jokes were exchanged, and soon the crowd started to dissipate, heading toward the hotel where the reception would be held. The room was now nearly empty, save for a few close friends and family, and a few ultra-powerful, highly revered gods. The usual crowd.

While most of the gods had already departed - Hestia and Hermes had already left for Olympus, and Dionysus and Apollo, who had been itching for a good party, were en route to the reception probably just to steal a bottle of wine or two from there and then leave - a few of the key gods remained. Hera approached the couple, taking large, graceful steps. Annabeth, aware of the fact that she and Hera had never quite been on good terms, examined the goddess' face. It did not appear kind, but it did not appear hateful either. Hera stopped in front of the pair. Her gaze turned to Annabeth. "I am aware that you still do not see things my way," she said. "I fail to see your point of view as well. However, I have found myself to be generous enough to bless your marriage and what future family you may have. Though we have differing views on certain topics, I believe that you are a couple well-matched. Consider this your wedding present."

Hera straightened up and arched an eyebrow, obviously expecting a sign of gratitude. Annabeth, while mildly irritated, managed to blurt out a word of thanks.

Next came Aphrodite. While Ares was sitting in the background looking as if he would rather be somewhere else, Aphrodite gushed endlessly over how she was oh-so-happy now that they were officially married, and she'd been waiting for this to happen for practically eons now, and she had lots of plans for them (this remark prompted Percy and Annabeth to exchange nervous glances), and oh! it was just so CUTE!, etc., etc. Once her tirade was over, she kissed them both on the cheek, leaving raspberry-colored lipstick marks (which both of them tried desperately to rub off), grabbed Ares (who merely scowled at them, but perhaps not as harshly as usual), and whisked herself dramatically out the door.

Neither Percy nor Annabeth had much time to recover from that encounter, however, for no sooner had Aphrodite and Ares disappeared when Poseidon and Athena started walking in their direction. The two gods maintained a cold and wary distance, occasionally shooting discreet glares at the other. Annabeth's forehead creased slightly in worry as she watched them approach, and Percy squeezed her hand, although Annabeth wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort her or if he was equally as apprehensive about the situation as she was.

Poseidon reached them first. With his twinkling green eyes and crow's feet, he wasn't nearly as scary as her mother was, Annabeth mused. However, his aura was so powerful that she found she could not completely let her guard down. Maybe it was a reflex reaction, as she _was_ a daughter of Athena after all.

Poseidon smiled politely. "I just figured that I ought to congratulate you both on your marriage. Trust me when I say that I hope that it is a long and happy one. I have little doubt that it will be." He looked at Annabeth when he said that, and then smiled again, a real smile, one that Annabeth easily recognized from years of seeing the same one on Percy's. She summoned a shy grin in return. Then Poseidon's eyes traveled to Percy's. Father and son seemed to have a private exchange, and in that moment Annabeth saw the striking resemblance between the two, how alike they were. With a final hand on each of their shoulders, Poseidon left, leaving the tiniest hint of the smell of saltwater in the air.

And then Athena came. She looked both of them in the eye, and then said, "I suppose I shall wish you the same as Lord Poseidon did. For your sake-" and here she shot a glance at Percy, who flinched the tiniest bit "-I hope that your marriage is a prosperous one, full of love and affection." She looked at Percy again. "I trust that you will keep my daughter safe, Perseus Jackson? That you will give her what she needs in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life?"

"I-" Percy stammered. Then something in his eyes hardened with determination. He stood up straighter, and said, "I will do everything in my power." The sincerity in his tone was something that Athena seemed to notice, and she nodded briefly, seemingly satisfied. Then she turned to Annabeth.

"My daughter," she murmured. "I wish you the best." A half-smile grazed her lips, and Annabeth found herself mirroring the expression. With one last glance, Athena departed, leaving the new couple alone.

Annabeth looked around. The chapel had completely emptied out while she and Percy had been speaking to the gods; she could hear the voices of Percy's mother, her father, and a few more farther away down the hall. She looked up at Percy, who had a wry smile on his face.

"Well," he said. "That was only a tad more uncomfortable than I anticipated."

She giggled. "Just a tad?"

"Right."

The two were silent for a moment, briefly surveying the room, with its delicate flower arrangements, the yards of white linen and roses decorating the ends of the pews, the skylights that cast a warm glow about the room.

Annabeth looked up again at her new husband. "So," she casually began, "we're married now."

A small smile graced his lips. "We're married," he confirmed.

She raised an eyebrow. "You up for the challenge, Seaweed Brain?" Because, truthfully, married life was a challenge, and Annabeth knew that Percy was aware that it would definitely not be in his best interests to give it up. So this question was a small test to see if, indeed, he was ready. A small test to try to gauge if they could continue to be as happy as they had been for the past seven years.

So it was a relief when he bent down and kissed her again, their second kiss as man and wife. He pulled back and gave her that signature crooked grin, the one she'd come to know and love so well. "As ready as I'll ever be, Wise Girl...or should I say Mrs. Jackson?"

She couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across her cheeks. "Come on, new husband," she said, playfully grabbing his arm and tugging him towards the door. "I believe we have a wedding reception to catch."

"Thank the gods for that. I'm awfully hungry," he murmured, earning him a light slap from Annabeth. "Hey!"

So arm in arm, the duo walked out of the chapel doors and into their new lives.

* * *

**A/N**: OH MY GOSH, that took me the longest time to finish. But I hope you enjoyed! (: I know it's a bit too fluffy, and I apologize for that. :P But it's their wedding. Weddings are supposed to be nice and fluffy. Anyways, the next chapter will be about them having a baby, and dealing with parenthood. Then after that it'll probably be back to their good old teenage years and little moments during that period of time, because I like writing about teenage Annabeth and Percy best. (:

Just a warning: The next chapter probably will not be up for a couple of weeks or so. I know, I know, it's summer, I should be updating faster, blah blah blah, and I'm really sorry that I'm not updating faster. :/ But I'm going on vacation to Orlando, Florida next week (helllooooo, Disney World & Harry Potter theme park!), so I probably won't have a lot of time to write. Sooo sorry. But I hope you guys are having a fantastic summer. (:

Until next time!

- Alexa!

**PS**: I want you guys to get to know me a little better, and I want to get to know you guys a little better, so ask me a question or two in your review! (: Also, you can come talk to me on Twitter (Twitter . com / alexalovesyou) or Tumblr (heytherelexa . tumblr. com) :D

Oh, and let me ask _you _a random question: What was the last movie you saw? Mine was Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a few years old, but I still really like it. (:


	11. Baby

**Chapter Ten: Baby**

* * *

At first Percy associated Annabeth's snippiness to what appeared to be just a really lousy case of PMS. Not that he would know a lot about that, with him being a guy and all, but he figured it was a reasonable explanation for her cranky, grouchier-than-usual behavior and odd food cravings.

Then she started getting sick. He would wake up in the middle of the night to find her retching in a very loud, slightly disgusting manner, and he'd get up to help her hold her hair back as she heaved into the toilet. She started acting a little loopy and having unbelievably rapid mood swings, but Percy figured that this was just a side effect from the asprin she'd been taking for the headaches she'd been getting lately. Medicine was bound to make anyone, even ultra-focused Annabeth, a little fuzzy around the edges.

And then one day he came home from work a little early to find Annabeth sitting cross-legged on the couch,clad in sweatpants, and watching TV while hungrily devouring a pint of ice cream. This occurrence was highly unusual for two reasons. One reason was that when Annabeth wasn't on Olympus overseeing construction of her designs, she was busy with her demanding job as an architect for a well-known company in New York City, and therefore wasn't home until much later. The other reason was that Annabeth could almost always be found either looking at designs on Daedulus's laptop or sketching out her own designs on paper. Tonight, however, the laptop was shut off and her papers and pencils lay in a neat, untouched pile on the coffee table. Percy couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her being even just a tad unproductive, and so this sudden change in Annabeth's normal routine was something that unnerved him.

He crept cautiously toward his wife, who had yet to acknowledge his appearance. "You're home early..." he began slowly.

She looked up at him then, and while her face was not unfriendly, it was impassive. Percy became nervous. Had he done something wrong? Had he forgotten something? Oh, gods, he'd accidentally left the toilet seat up again, hadn't he?

Annabeth set down the tub of ice cream on the coffee table, grabbed his hand, and wordlessly led him through the couple's bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom. Oh gods, he HAD left the toilet seat up. But Annabeth's attention seemed to be focused not on the offending toilet seat, but on three little blue strips sitting idly in the sink.

She jammed a finger at the blue strips. "Do you know what these mean?" she asked. Her tone was not accusatory or harsh, but oddly calm.

Percy threw a glance at the strips. "Should I know what they mean?" he said. Even as he spoke the words, a small, nagging suspicion grew in his clouded brain. Wait. Those kind of looked like...

"Pregnancy tests," Annabeth confirmed. "And they turn blue if they're positive." She stared at Percy, obviously waiting for him to put two and two together. Knowing Percy, it would probably take a while.

Percy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He spluttered a little. "Uh, and those...those are _your_ pregnancy tests?"

Annabeth scoffed. "Of course not, Seaweed Brain! I simply felt the random urge to take home somebody's used pregnancy tests and lay them in my sink!" She rolled her eyes, to further emphasize the sarcasm of her last comment.

Percy, however, continued to be unable to grasp the situation fully. "So..." he said slowly. "Those are yours. And-"

"And I'm pregnant, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth smacked him on the arm, despite the fact that she knew it wouldn't hurt him. "There. Now you know. Now please have an appropriate reaction to this news instead of just standing there blubbering."

He glared at her. "I am not blubbering!"

"You are too! Don't deny it."

He scowled. After a few moments, he muttered, "I suppose this is the part where I pick you up, spin you around in a circle, and yell 'YAY, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!'."

"I think that would be correct, yes."

After a few moments of silence, Percy suddenly swooped Annabeth up in his arms, twirled her around, and loudly yelled, "YAY, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!"

"Very nice," said Annabeth, straightening her t-shirt after Percy had set her down. The corners of her lips twitched. "But before we continue celebrating this joyous occasion, I have to warn you about something."

Percy stared at his wife quizzically. "Warn me about what?"

She stepped closer to him, so her eyes were nearly level with his. Her luminous, multifaceted gray eyes bore into his vivid, lively sea greens. She started to speak, and her tone was serious. "I am warning you that the next nine months are probably going to be the most terrifying nine months you have ever had in your lifetime."

Percy stared at her. "Uh, not sure how to break this to you, but I'm not the one bearing a child and preparing to give birth."

"No," Annabeth agreed. "But you _are _sharing an apartment with someone bearing a child and preparing to give birth, and trust me, that may be even scarier."

Percy groaned. "I suppose it's no use to ask you to go easy on me?"

"Nope," Annabeth said brightly. "When we were sixteen, I told you I would never make things easy for you, and I'm planning on sticking to what I said." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Now let's go back to the living room. My ice cream is melting."

* * *

Nine horrifying, tantrum-filled, breakdown-inducing months later, it was time.

Annabeth had woken up just a few minutes before, and had managed to get a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast started. She wandered into the bathroom to freshen up a little, since she was feeling strangely woozy. Turning on the faucet, she bent over the sink to splash some water on her face.

And that was when she felt a sharp pain in her belly.

She gasped, straightening abruptly. She looked down at her protruding stomach, making sure that no strange alien creature had spontaneously burst out of it, like in that one movie she remembered seeing a few years before. What was it called again? Was it-

No. That was beside the point. The point was that whatever she had felt had _hurt_. Looking down again, she noted that the baby certainly seemed to be sitting lower than before. But her due date wasn't for another week or so. A week. Seven days. Well, that wasn't an extremely long expanse of time. It wouldn't be strange if a baby arrived only seven mere days before it was supposed to. So it was possible that maybe, just maybe...

Her eyes darted toward the bedroom. Percy was still asleep, snoring loudly and drooling slightly, as was his usual. Annabeth rolled her eyes. If the man became _that_ exhausted simply from dealing with _her_, it would certainly be interesting to see exactly how well he could deal with the new baby.

Annabeth made her way to the bed. She reached out and poked her husband in the arm. "Percy," she whispered.

He didn't budge.

Annabeth nudged Percy with more force. "Percy," she hissed.

No response.

Sighing, Annabeth gently held her belly, then daintily leaned closer to Percy. Then, she proceeded to hit him in the arm so hard that he nearly fell off the bed. "PERSEUS JACKSON!" she screeched.

Percy's eyes shot open. He looked alarmed, and his hand flicked toward the bedside table, where he kept Riptide when he slept. Annabeth huffed. "Percy!" she yelled.

He looked at her. Then, slowly, his eyes scanned the room, searching for signs of any unusual activity. Finding none, he sighed and put a hand over his eyes. "Annabeth," he said. "What is it?"

She took a deep breath. "It's time," she said solemnly.

Percy, still in a sleep-induced stupor, yawned blearily and glanced in the direction of the alarm clock. "Time for what? Breakfast?"

Annabeth briefly considered slamming a frying pan against her husband's head, but decided against it, since it would probably just shatter against his thick skull. Instead, she took another deep,  
calming breath, then yelled, "I AM ABOUT TO DELIVER OUR FIRST CHILD. So I suggest that you stop dilly-dallying and get me to a hospital before I explode."

A few seconds passed while Percy processed this new tidbit of information. Then he sat bolt upright in bed. "Oh my gods."

"'Oh my gods' is right!" Annabeth grimaced as another contraction racked through her abdomen. "Will you get up now, please?"

"Right, right." Percy shot out of bed, quickly grabbing a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. He located the bag that Annabeth had prepared for this day, and hoisted it up. Taking Annabeth's hand, he half-carried her and half-led her to the door.

When they were out of the apartment and Percy was about to lock the door, Annabeth froze. "Wait!" she exclaimed.

He looked at her. "What?"

Annabeth broke free of Percy's grasp and managed to waddle back inside the apartment and into the kitchen, where she promptly turned off the stove and coffeemaker. She waddled back out to meet a slightly bewildered Percy. "I almost forgot to turn off the stove and coffeemaker," she murmured by way of explanation.

Percy led her to the car, grumbling, "Couldn't you have let _me_ take care of that?"

Annabeth gripped her stomach in pain, but managed an eyeroll in his direction. "Of course not, Seaweed Brain. I know better than to trust you around electrical appliances."

With that, Percy loaded his wife in the car, jumped in the driver's seat, and sped off in the direction of the hospital.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure if this was real life.

He couldn't believe that not long from now, his best friend and wife, Annabeth, would be giving birth to his child. _Their_ child.

Percy had a million emotions running through his brain, and a million reactions. His first instinct was to cower in a corner. His second instinct was to jump for joy. His third instinct was to burst into tears. However, Percy figured that neither of these options were particularly manly, so he decided to just stand there looking stunned, like he usually did in situations such as this.

He and Annabeth had certainly been an interesting sight as they burst through the hospital doors, him with his hastily buttoned, lopsided shirt, and her with her bulging belly and rapid breaths. Nurses had immediately converged on Annabeth and taken her to the labor and delivery section of the hospital.

In a daze, Percy followed a nurse into a room where he washed his hands and was outfitted with the standard hospital scrubs, so as to prevent the spread of infection and germs and bacteria or whatever the nurse said (he wasn't really listening). He then entered the room where his wife was situated on a bed, somehow already in a hospital gown. Nurses swarmed around her, hooking up an IV and examining her charts, and all that other stuff. Annabeth saw Percy and reached out with a slender hand. He took it, and she held it firmly. They exchanged a long glance.

"...so," he said.

"So," she said.

"We're going to have a baby."

"Yes, we are."

He examined her eyes. "Are you scared?"

She sighed. "No." She lowered her voice. "I mean, I'm nervous, I guess. Two demigods having a child...I don't think I've ever heard of something like that before. We don't know how powerful the baby will be."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. We have a few years to figure things out. But powerful or not, this is our...our kid, and we need to make sure we take care of it. Help it learn. Make him or her the best it can be."

She smiled up at him. "I love you, Seaweed Brain."

He offered her a dimpled grin. "I love you too, Wise Girl."

They stood there smiling at each other until Annabeth gasped and grabbed her stomach. The nurses gathered around her, hurling a barrage of questions at her. A nurse checked a few things out, then said, "She's about ready!"

The events that happened in the following minutes were...indescribable. Percy thought he might faint. He was happy, as one usually is when their first child is about to be born, but most of all he was grossed out. Sure, he'd seen his fair share of violence in his lifetime, but part of him would rather take a mouthful of monster dust rather than be privy to _this_. Percy swallowed, bravely warding off a wave of nausea at the same time. The only thing that kept him from collapsing on the floor was Annabeth's vicelike grip on his fingers. He squeezed her fingers back involuntarily.

And then it was over. Annabeth fell back on her pillow, exhausted, but soon started to crane her neck in an attempt to get a look at her new baby. A nurse handed her a bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. She smiled widely. "Congratulations. It's a girl."

If Annabeth or Percy had looked at the nurse a little closer, they might have realized it was the goddess Hera, but instead their eyes were fixed on the small being that now lay in Annabeth's arms. It had been bawling when it was born, but its sobs had been reduced to small, contented whimpers, as if it knew that it now lay in its mother's arms.

Percy and Annabeth gazed down with wonder at the baby. Around them, the room fell into a hushed, reverential silence. The nurses exchanged small grins. The birth of a healthy baby was always a miracle in itself, but there was something particularly striking about this one, something that no one could quite put their finger on...

The baby took a breath, its mouth twitching slightly. A grin slowly spread over Annabeth's features. "Did you see that?" she murmured. "Dimples. She has your dimples."

"But she has your hair," said Percy, stroking his wife's blonde curls with one hand and gently touching his child's fine hair with the other. "And I think she has your nose too. But I wonder whose eyes-" He stopped speaking as the baby moved, stretching and wriggling inside its blanket. Her eyelids twitched, then slowly opened.

Percy's breath hitched as he stared at the child. Her eyes were a bright, enchanting sea green.

_His _green.

Percy was suddenly overcome with a strong wave of emotion. This was truly _his_ daughter. _His_ child. The realization sprang on him so quickly, so suddenly, it almost overwhelmed him completely. He felt a sharp prickling from behind his eyeballs. Tears? _No. No. Don't you dare cry, Percy,_ he chided himself. _That is not manly at all. Just because you're a new father -_

_Whoa._ _I'm...I'm a _father.

As this thought slowly but surely sunk into Percy's consciousness, Annabeth watched her husband with slight amusement. "Aww," she murmured. "You're crying."

"No I'm not," Percy said quickly. He averted his face toward the ceiling, wondering if his water powers would be effective on his tears and cause them to magically dry up.

"Yes you are!" Annabeth insisted. "Don't be ashamed. It's...it's _cute, _for lack of a better word."

"Cute?" Percy grumbled.

"It is! I mean, I've never seen you cry before." She laughed. "Oh goodness. Our baby doesn't even have a name yet, but she's already got you wrapped around her chubby little finger."

"Does not!"

"Does too. I saw the way you looked at her. You are going to spoil this little girl rotten."

"Yeah, well, we should probably go ahead and name her, right?" Percy grumbled, in a poorly disguised attempt to change the subject.

The couple stared down at their child, at her calm sleeping face, the pinkish, smooth skin, the slightly puckered lips. What would they name this gift, this blessing that they had received?

Annabeth spoke first. "You know how we were trying to think of names a few weeks ago? There was one that stuck out to me. And right now, it feels like it's the perfect name."

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"Celeste. It means 'divine', or 'of the gods'," Annabeth said softly. "I wouldn't deny that the fact that her being _here_, with all her fingers and toes, perfectly healthy...that's pretty divine. And she _does_ have god blood on both sides of the family, so the 'of the gods' part makes sense." She smiled wryly. "What do you think?"

"I think..." A slow grin spread over Percy's face. "I think it's perfect."

Annabeth smiled slightly. "Well, I guess that's settled." She leaned down towards her baby's face, her blonde hair brushing against the child's forehead. "Hello Celeste," she whispered.

Percy leaned in closer, staring at his daughter's delicate profile. "Hello, Celeste," he repeated.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, so it took me about 4 months to update. Ugh. Sorry guys. :( I know it sounds like the same tired old excuse, but life has just been getting in the way. Since the last time I updated, school has started, and I barely have time to myself anymore. Sophomore year hasn't been very nice to me. All I am these days is tired or exhausted or stressed to the point of tears, and my grades have been slipping. I'm finding it more difficult than usual to maintain an A, and obviously trying to keep up with all the tests and projects and speeches that have been piled on me is a bit more of a priority than my writing. Again, I'm sorry, but I'm sure a lot of you know how it is.

So, in case the 4-month wait for this chapter didn't tip you off, I'm going to be updating a lot less. I'll try to write whenever I have time, but honestly I really don't have a lot of time anymore. Rest assured though, I am _not_ discontinuing the story. There will be more updates. When? I can't be sure. But they'll be here eventually.

Thank you guys so much for understanding. (: Love y'all!

-Alexa (:

PS: I may not be on here a lot, but chances are I'll be on Twitter or Tumblr quite a bit. Feel free to talk to me on there. (:


	12. Gift

**Chapter Eleven:** **Gift**

**Summary:** Annabeth goes shopping for a suitable Christmas giftfor her special someone.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own PJO!

**A/N:** Merry Christmas to all of you wonderful people! Consider this my present for y'all. :)

* * *

Honestly, Annabeth had no idea as to what she should get Percy for Christmas. Shopping for teenage boys was never an easy task, especially when the teenage boy in question was an invulnerable, super-powerful son of Poseidon, as well as her boyfriend.

To add to the problem, Annabeth had never been the best at giving presents. Most of her childhood had been spent within the borders of Camp Half-Blood, and most of the presents she'd given were special weapons or magic items she'd made herself (or paid drachmas for someone else to make). She'd never had the need to go to an actual store and buy an actual present until recently, when she'd submerged herself back into the mortal world. Now she was back in touch with her family, had a job, new friends, and of course, a boyfriend. This would be their first Christmas together and Annabeth, being a perfectionist, had to make sure that it went exactly according to plan. This included, but was not limited to, giving him the perfect gift.

So a few days before Christmas, Annabeth found herself inside a packed department store, frantically looking around for something suitable to give to her significant other. (Was she allowed to call him that now? Even though they'd only been together for four months? Was that too strong of an expression? But it felt right, in a way. Wow. Were things really that-)

Annabeth shook her head to clear her thoughts. No. This was not the time to let her overactive mind take over. What she needed to do was find a gift and get out of here.

So Annabeth set about her task, carefully perusing the polished countertops and the strategically placed displays. What would Percy like? A watch? No. He'd probably end up forgetting to put it on. Typical Percy. Hmmmm...a shirt? Was Percy the kind of person who really cared about what he wore? No, not really, although he did have some strange ability to look effortlessly attractive. Still, everyone needed shirts, right? She crept over tentatively to a rack of clothing, eyeing a crisp blue button down. Percy had said something about not having any "fancy" clothes earlier that month, so this was a perfect opportunity to get him some. But was one shirt just enough? Maybe she should get another one. So she walked to another rack and picked out a green T-shirt - _green, to match his eyes _- and eyed her two choices. Was that enough? Were the gifts too generic? Then again, there really weren't a lot of other options. So Percy would just have to be stuck with these. She checked the price tag on the button down and nearly had a heart attack (_that_ expensive? Just for a simple button down shirt?), but then calmed down considerably when she realized the shirt was on sale. Yes. Sales were good. She checked out the price of the other shirt, which was fairly reasonable, and added the together. Hmmm. Not bad.

Annabeth was so engrossed in her calculations that she didn't notice a presence behind her until she heard someone say, "Annabeth?"

She froze.

Annabeth turned around slowly, being careful to conceal the two shirts behind her back, and met the eyes of none other than Percy, the very person she was shopping for. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were confused, probably in response to her somewhat panicked expression. Annabeth quickly swallowed and cleared her throat. "Percy, hi," she said, rearranging her features into what she hoped was a convincing smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh-" Now it was Percy's turn to look uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight. Annabeth's keen eyes zeroed in on Percy's arms, which were partially concealed behind his back. Was he trying to hide something from her? She brought her suspicious gaze up to his nervous stare. "Really, Percy," she continued, "what _are_ you doing here?"

"Um, I..." Percy appeared to be at a loss of words. His gaze shifted erratically until they settled on Annabeth's own arms, and the telltale pieces of fabric peeking out from behind her body. "Well," he said, raising an eyebrow at her, "I could ask you the same thing."

They stood silently for a few more minutes, continuing to stare at each other. Finally, Percy blurted, "I was just shopping for my mom" at the exact moment that Annabeth said, "I was just shopping for my dad."

"Really?" countered Annabeth. "Why won't you let me see what you have?"

"Uh, um...you might spoil it for her. Besides, why won't you let me see what _you_ have?"

"_Spoil_ it for her? That is the most-" Annabeth stopped abruptly, then sighed. After a few beats, she offered Percy a wry smile. "This could go on all night, you know."

"Yeah. And let's face it, we're both _really_ bad liars."

Annabeth laughed. "Should we show each other what we've got? I'd prefer that we wait until Christmas, but I should warn you that I didn't get you anything too spectacular."

"It's okay," Percy said good-naturedly. "Shirts are great. I could use a few shirts."

"And I'm sure that I could use...well...whatever it is you've got there."

Percy grinned mischievously. "Ha! You still don't know what it is."

Annabeth delivered one of her famous glares in Percy's direction. Percy managed to stand his ground, but after having to face those deadly gray eyes for another few minutes, he caved. "All right, fine," he sighed. "I got you a necklace."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "A necklace?"

"Yeah," said Percy, bringing forward the small box for her to examine. "It reminded me of you, so I thought I should get it."

Annabeth gingerly opened the box to look at the necklace. Hanging off the dainty silver chain inside was a small, delicate, silver owl, with black crystal eyes that sparkled in the light.

"Awww," said Annabeth. "I like it."

"You do?" asked Percy, a tentative smile starting to grow.

"Yeah," she said. "But...you know you're not limited to getting me stuff with owls, right?"

"...Um, yes. And you know that _you're_ not limited to getting me stuff that's blue or green, right?"

"Well, yeah."

A few minutes passed as the couple watched the flurry of activity around them as last minute shoppers scampered about the store, searching for the perfect gift. Percy turned to Annabeth and shrugged. "Well, Wise Girl, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"I guess you're right, Seaweed Brain."

* * *

**A/N:** There we go! A nice little Christmas-themed oneshot. Not my best work, but I wanted to have this up in time for Christmas :P I'll try to have another chapter up before I get back to school in January though.

And a few quick replies to a couple of my reviewers who brought up some stuff I wanted to acknowledge:

TheWritingBox: I would call that just an awesome coincidence. I've heard about the Celeste Jackson Chronicles before, but that's not where I got the idea for her name. I'd actually used the name before in one of my stories (Blast From the Past, which I haven't updated in, oh, a zillion years). But it's kinda cool that me and whoever wrote that came up with the same name!

FINDtheHufflepuffs: I don't know, I've just always loved the name Celeste (and I do have a cousin who's actually named that). And like I mentioned above, I'm now aware that there's another story in which Percy and Annabeth's daughter is named Celeste, but again, like I said, that's not where I got the idea. I used the name before and I wanted to use it again because I'm sort of OCD like that. Sorry if you don't like it though. :(

And also: Which one of you guys said they've been stalking me on Tumblr? I'm not judging, I promise, because I've done my fair share of creeping myself. It's just that I have an idea about who you are (as in what your Tumblr name is), but I just want to know for sure... ;)

Anyway, to the rest of you guys, have a very merry Christmas, and happy holidays, and happy Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate... And also happy new year if I don't get back to you guys before then!

-Alexa :)

PS: And one more thing! Thank you guys SO MUCH for getting me past 100 reviews. It really means a lot to me. :)


	13. Snow

**Chapter Twelve**: Snow

**Rating**: T for some suggestive material.

**A/N**: Ratings will only be included if an individual chapter has material that doesn't fit in the K+ category.

**Yet Another A/N: **I'm aware that this chapter is kind of irrelevant now because it's spring and there's no more snow (at least not where I am). This was actually written back in early January, but then I got my laptop taken away so I couldn't upload it, and I got it back just now. So blame the rents for the long wait for this chapter. :p

* * *

Annabeth slammed the door of her stalled car in frustration, causing a thick layer of snow to slide off the side of the vehicle and splat dramatically onto the frozen ground. "This is all your fault!" she exclaimed, shooting an accusatory glare at her boyfriend. "This was just supposed to be a brief visit. If you hadn't insisted on _distracting _me-"

"As I recall," Percy interrupted, moving closer to murmur in Annabeth's ear, "you seemed to enjoy being distracted very, _very_ much."

Annabeth shivered involuntarily, unsure about whether it was caused by the icy wind or Percy's warm breath in her ear. With some difficulty, she managed to straighten up and deliver yet another glare in Percy's direction. "I most certainly did not," she huffed. After a few beats, she conceded. "Well, maybe I did. Just a little. But that's not the point. The point is that the freezing weather and snow has rendered my car completely useless and now I can't drive through this mess at all, which is due to the fact that you kept me occupied for such a long time-"

"And was that really such a bad thing?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Annabeth hid her blush by turning away and sighing dramatically. "Gods, Percy. Do you not get how serious this is?" Under her breath, she added, "Why do you have to be such a _guy_?"

Percy, with his keen hearing, managed to hear her nearly silent question. "Well, if I wasn't, then we probably wouldn't be able to have-"

Annabeth silenced him effectively by picking up a chunk of snow from the ground, molding it into a ball-like shape, and hurling it in Percy's direction. Percy, surprised, managed to dodge what would have been a direct hit to his face, but another snowball that veered in his direction hit him squarely in the arm. "Hey! What was that for?"

"That," said Annabeth, "was for being exceptionally irritating."

"Well, wouldn't that mean that you would end up throwing stuff at me all the time?" Percy asked. He immediately regretted his words once he saw the dangerous expression that spread across Annabeth's rosy features.

"Good idea," she said as she threw yet another chunk of snow at Percy's direction. The mischievous glint in her eye was enough to make Percy a little bit worried for his safety. Nevertheless, he pasted a suggestive grin onto his face. "So that's how you're going to play this, Wise Girl?"

Annabeth winked. "You know it."

The next few minutes brought on an elaborate one-on-one battle, with both Percy and Annabeth gathering ammunition and strategizing as only the most distinguished demigods of the century were capable of doing. They ducked behind cars, implemented stealth attacks, and bided their time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Of course, neither found the other as easy to beat as anticipated. Percy had ridiculously fast reflexes and a talent for anticipating his opponent's next moves. Annabeth, on the other hand, was excellent at battle strategies and, of course, was in possession of her prized invisibility cap. Percy realized this posed quite a problem for him immediately after he was pelted in the face with a well-aimed snowball.

His demigod senses going into overdrive, Percy stood completely still, letting his instincts guide him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a ghostly footprint mysteriously appear a few feet away. A snowball was suddenly launched from that direction. Percy maneuvered his body to avoid it and threw himself in the direction that the snowball had come from. A collision with another warm body and the sudden appearance of long, curly blonde hair confirmed Percy's hunch concerning the whereabouts of his girlfriend.

Annabeth, swift as ever, quickly reached for her fallen invisibility cap, but Percy retrieved it before she could. She glared at him.

"What?" Percy teased. "Are you mad that you lost?"

She sighed with resignation. "You and your darn invulnerability. I used to be able to beat you in combat with one hand tied behind my back."

"Hey!" Percy said defensively. "I _was_ getting a lot better at fighting, you know."

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at him and looked away.

"Aw, come on," Percy said. "Are you still upset that I beat you, for once?" When he received no reply, he added, "Well, I could try to make you feel better, if you want me to."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow skeptically, but the glint in her eyes returned. "Really?" she challenged.

Percy grinned slyly. "Really." With that, he bent down and kissed her on the mouth. Annabeth responded enthusiastically, her fingers twisting themselves in his unruly black hair. They remained intertwined for several minutes, pausing only to gasp for breath.

Finally they broke apart, both a little rosier than earlier. Annabeth sighed contentedly as Percy's gloved fingers traced along her cheek. "You sure are good at distracting me, aren't you?"

The corners of Percy's mouth twitched, causing his dimples to appear momentarily. "I guess that's one thing I can do right."

"I guess so," Annabeth agreed. Then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Wait. But that was your plan all along, wasn't it? To distract me from getting mad at you for distracting me earlier?"

"Uh-" Percy was momentarily lost as he attempted to process her words.

"It was!" She glared at him accusingly. "Percy Jackson, you are unbelievable."

"I-uh, sorry," Percy stammered. "Really. I didn't want-"

"Oh, shut up," groaned Annabeth. She silenced any further protests by abruptly pushing Percy's head down and meeting his lips with hers.

They broke apart, Percy pleasantly surprised. He smiled slightly. "What was that for?"

"You may be impossible and unbelievable and incredibly annoying, but I suppose I've gotten used to it," said Annabeth, sighing. Before Percy could make some sort of witty comment in reply, she continued, "Now help me up. Lying out here in the snow with my boyfriend on top of me is certainly very unladylike."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "And since when were you so concerned about being prim and proper?"

"Since passersby started giving us dirty looks," Annabeth replied, her gaze wandering over Percy's shoulder. Percy followed her gaze just in time to see a scowling middle-aged lady walk past, muttering something about "hormonal teenagers".

"Ah," said Percy. "I see what you mean."

Annabeth laughed. "Come on, let's get up. We can continue this inside you know," she added with a wink.

"That is true," Percy murmured thoughtfully as he helped her onto her feet.

So the duo strolled back into the warmth of Percy's apartment, completely forgetting about Annabeth's stalled car in the process.

* * *

**A/N**: Kind of stupid. But I hope you liked. :)

Anyway, sincere apologies for my absence from the fanfiction world. There was the aforementioned laptop issue, of course, as well as excessive amounts of schoolwork (as usual -_-). So how has everyone been since I last heard from y'all in...hmm...December? I've been doing pretty okay myself, and celebrated my birthday on February 6 (which was actually Super Bowl Sunday, and the game was actually being played in Arlington, TX, my hometown)! Yup. Cool shizz. Anyhoo, I will try to post a new chapter soon, but I need ideas! Messages and/or reviews would be super fantastic. (And hey, even if you wanna talk about something that _doesn't _pertain to this at all, feel free to drop me a line in my ask box on Tumblr, even if you wanna be anonymous. I like talking to people, if you hadn't figured that out by now due to my really long author's notes. Yeah.)

Until next time! Again, please feel free to leave me suggestions and reviews and such! :)

-Alexa

**PS**: I just realized it's been over a year since I first published this story! So I'd like to say thank you _so much_ to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put me on story alert, author alert, etc...I'm so happy that something I do just for fun is something that people enjoy! Again, a huge huge thank you to all you beautiful people. Free cookies for all. Oh yes.


	14. Lost

**Chapter Thirteen: **Lost  
**Summary: **Warning! contains TLH and SoN sneak peek spoilers! Kind of. This takes place before SoN begins, but alludes to stuff mentioned in the preview chapter. Anyway, this is about Percy struggling with his lack of memory. Sad, right. I do hope he gets all of it back so he can remember Annabeth and he can find her and they can live happily ever after~  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

* * *

Lost.

The word had several different meanings. There was the kind of lost that entailed being lost in the physical sense; the kind of lost that meant being separated from the familiar.

And then there was the kind of lost that meant being astray inside one's own mind, not having any idea who one was, who one's friends were, where one came from, or anything else, for that matter. Percy was both physically lost and mentally lost, but it was the latter, he decided, that was the worst of the two.

It had been this way for a while now. A few weeks ago, Percy had woken up in the middle of an unfamiliar, heavily forested patch of land with absolutely no recollection of who he was. It was a bit disconcerting, to say the least. The only being who was privy to his situation was some freaky wolf lady, who seemed only capable of speaking in cryptic riddles.

Sure, the basics had started to come back after a short while. He knew his name was Percy Jackson. He knew he was sixteen. Most importantly, he also knew that he was not even close to being a typical teenage boy. He was a demigod, and a powerful one at that.

But that was where the memories stopped. With his mind refusing to offer him any guidance, Percy quickly found that he couldn't do more than rely on instinct alone, which could prove to be dangerous. Due to this setback, he was in dire need of a game plan. How would he ever be able to get out of this mess? It didn't exactly help that he had no clue how he'd gotten into said mess in the first place.

And then there was the matter of the monsters he'd had to fend off over the past couple of weeks. He couldn't remember ever having fought a monster before, so in a way he was a beginner at all of this. Thankfully, Percy's deeply ingrained battle instincts had allowed him to stay alive up until this point.

_Barely alive_, Percy thought grimly as he settled in a small clearing just out of view of the busy freeway. He'd just fought some sort of weird crazy-legged fanged thing with flaming hair - an empousa, was it called? - and was now covered in gross monster grime and completely drained of energy. He reached into a small knapsack he'd managed to obtain and pulled out a half-eaten bag of Doritos, which had made up most of his food supply for the past day or two. He leaned against a tree and sighed heavily as he bit into a tortilla chip, chewing thoughtfully. A cool sea breeze blew across his face. Normally this would have relaxed him, but tonight it did nothing to soothe his anxiety.

Between the crunching noises made from his Doritos, Percy could sense various animals skittering around in the undergrowth, careful to keep hidden from any predator's eyes. They usually tended to leave him alone (perhaps because they could smell the monster dust on him?), but there was one creature in particular, he recalled, that seemed intent on doing the opposite. Maybe under normal circumstances Percy might have found this attachment endearing, but this animal was far more creepy than cute. So far tonight, however, his stalker had yet to make an appearance.

Almost immediately after Percy had had the thought, his ears picked up on the distinct sound of wings beating. _Speak of the devil_, Percy groaned inwardly. The noise gradually increased in volume. Percy craned his neck to watch as the winged, majestic creature soared onto the branch of a nearby tree, landing so gracefully that it didn't even have to flap its wings to keep itself balanced. As soon as the creature landed, it regarded Percy coolly. Percy sighed dramatically as he locked eyes with his assailant. "Well," he muttered, "I see you've found me again."

The owl, of course, didn't reply. It merely chose to stare at him in a way that Percy did not believe to be entirely friendly.

The owl had been following him since his first week AML (after memory loss) and had been appearing to him several nights since. Recently, the frequency of the owl's visits had increased alarmingly. Percy didn't know what this animal wanted from him, or why it was even following him in the first place. He directed a sour glare towards the owl. "Don't you have better things to do tonight?" he said. "Like, I dunno, flying around and hunting mice or rats or whatever it is that you eat?"

The owl's feathers ruffled up slightly. Percy could have sworn that it scowled at him, as if it was insulted by the mere suggestion.

Yet another cool sea breeze caused the leaves to rustle, sending streams of moonlight bouncing about wildly. One of the streams illuminated the face of the owl, and Percy caught a flash of steel gray eyes. A spark ignited in his mind, just like every other time he had glimpsed the owl's eyes. _Gray eyes_, he mused. _Where have I seen those before?_

Percy expected this tiny spark of recognition to fizzle out, as that was what usually happened. Gritting his teeth, he prepared himself for the hollow sense of disappointment and aloneness he had become so accustomed to in the past few weeks.

But this night would be different.

Out of nowhere, a series of seemingly unrelated images assaulted his senses. Gray eyes, silver owl earrings, a New York Yankees cap, the sound of a girl's laugh, the feeling of a kiss, papers covered with sketches of buildings, a laptop emblazoned with a blue triangle, a short bronze knife, the taste of icing, blonde curls glinting in the sunlight -what did it all mean? What was the common connection? Gods, why was everything so _hard_ to figure out?

And as if to answer his unspoken question was the sound of a girl's voice.

_I'll never make things easy for _you_, Seaweed Brain._

The barrage of images halted, and Percy came back to earth with a gasp. A word sprang to his lips. "Annabeth," he murmured.

Annabeth.

That was it. That was the common thread between the various - what had he just seen? Were they memories? Flashbacks? Or simply random images dug out of his subconscious?

But if these memories were real...Percy sighed. Annabeth. It felt so good to remember her, to remember _somebody_ from his previous life. He was still extremely fuzzy on the details - was she his friend? Girlfriend? How long had he known her? What had they done together? How well did they know each other? He didn't know, but he knew that somehow she was important to him. Everything was still clouded over, but when it came to her, the waters were now a little less murky.

But that didn't change the fact that he still didn't know how to retrieve his memories, and get back home, and get out of this mess.

A low hoot brought Percy's attention back to the owl, still perched upon its branch. As he watched, it flew downwards, closer and closer, until it landed neatly on his pack of Doritos, ripping holes in the plastic with its talons. Percy's first instinct was to back away, but something held him to the spot. Tentatively, he made eye contact with the owl. At the same moment, he heard a female voice, not the same one as earlier, but a colder, more ancient-sounding one.

_Remember, young man, there is always a way out for those clever enough to find it._

With that, the owl flew away, this time barely making a sound as it passed through the trees.

Percy blinked. He understood now. Or at least he thought he did.

He stood up and stretched as a new feeling filled his body and flowed through his veins. Determination. It coursed through him, erasing all traces of hopelessness that had been there only moments before. He _would_ find a way to get out of this mess. Maybe it would take him forever, but he would do it. He would find a way to remember everything. He would find a way to see Annabeth again.

He would find a way to get back home.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, that probably sucked. Sorry. But I've had absolutely NO ideas lately, hence the lack of updating.

Anyways, as you probably already know, Son of Neptune comes out in October. That's less than two months from now! I dunno about you, but I'm super excited. Mainly because I just want to see what happens to Percy and hopefully we get a nice Percabeth reunion scene. Wouldn't you like that? I would. As for the other characters, meh. Don't really care about them. Then again it's only the beginning of the series, so maybe I'll warm up to them a little later on.

By the way, have any of you heard of the _other_ sneak peek of SoN that Rick Riordan read aloud at a library (I'll try to find a link if you guys want)? If so, what do you think of it? It made me feel kinda sad, actually, mainly because of the whole Percy-could-lose-his-invulnerability thing. I mean, I wanted him to be invulnerable and awesome forever. Oh well. He's still awesome.

Sorry, I'm rambling, and you probably don't care, and I should probably go now. Okay. Bye.

Reviews would be nice too. :)

- Alexa


	15. Toga

**Chapter Fourteen**: Toga  
**Summary**: A semi-humorous imagining of Percy and Annabeth's long-awaited reunion.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own.

* * *

"Oh my gods. You're wearing a _toga_."

These are the first words Annabeth utters immediately after disembarking the Argo II and coming face to face with her boyfriend for the first time in eight months.

Percy raises an eyebrow. "Really? That's it? No 'oh hey, Percy, long time no see, I'm glad you're okay'?"

"I'm saving that stuff for later," says Annabeth. "It's just...wow. I don't think I've ever seen you in a toga before." She gives him an appreciative once-over, much to Percy's chagrin.

"What," he mutters, "do you want me to strike a pose? Twirl around in a circle for your viewing pleasure?"

"Would you?"

"Um, _no_."

She grins at him and tugs on the toga, adjusting its position. "Seriously though, you should keep the toga. It looks good on you. You look... more dignified. More leader-like. It suits you."

"Um, thanks."

"You're welcome." She winks.

In spite of himself, Percy cracks a smile. It feels so good to see her again. He'd missed this playful banter, the teasing, her smile, the sound of her voice and her laugh. He hadn't felt complete until this moment.

Her thoughts are somewhere along the same line. Seeing him briefly through a dream was nothing compared to seeing him in person. His familiar presence, his smell, his piercing green eyes - they simultaneously calm her and turn her insides to jelly. She has doubts as to how much he remembers, but all of these doubts evaporate as she steps forward and wraps her arms around his waist and he wraps his arms around her shoulders. The gesture is something they are both well acquainted with, something they have done several times before. He rests his forehead against hers intimately, their lips only inches apart.

She shuts her eyes, clutching him to her tightly. "I missed you, Seaweed Brain."

"I missed you too, Wise Girl."

The two relax, relishing the feeling of being in each other's arms once more. Annabeth clears her throat.

"Percy?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah?" He opens his eyes, staring at her intently.

"Will you promise me something?"

"Anything."

She smirks. "Promise me you'll always wear that toga."

He rolls his eyes, though she can tell he's a little amused. "Sorry. That's a promise I can't keep."

"You said you'd promise me anything!"

"But not that."

She laughs and pulls him in for a kiss. Their lips meet, and it's even better than either of them imagined. It is, to put it simply, bliss.

Annabeth has a lot more questions. There's a lot more that needs to be said, and a lot more that she needs to hear. Both of them need to make up for the excruciatingly long time that they were apart.

But for now, this is enough.

* * *

**A/N**: I know that that was kind of short and totally not worth the 4 month wait. Sorry. But good news - winter break is almost here, and perhaps I'll have time to update more during then! Yay! Of course, that's assuming that I can survive the remainder of finals week. One test down, four to go. Sigh.

I know I don't update a lot, and I apologize, but the only time I really have to write and brainstorm and let my creative juices flow is during school breaks, which are few and far between. I don't like this anymore than you guys do, but alas, c'est la vie. Such is life.

Anyhoo, if you guys want, I could totally write a much fluffier version of their reunion. (I'm kind of tempted to do so anyway. Wink wink.) I also have a few ideas for future chapters, which I'll write and upload as soon as possible. _And_ I have some ideas for completely new stories, but as to when I'll get started on those, I'm not sure. Rest assured, I'm _not_ discontinuing this story. Yes, I know updates are way too far apart, but I promise that this story will live on for as long as I can come up with good ideas for it.

Until later!

-Alexa


	16. Meet

**Chapter Fifteen**: Meet  
**Summary**: As promised, the fluffier (and more detailed) version of Percy and Annabeth's reunion. Post-SoN.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything.

* * *

Her heart beats rapidly within her chest. The cool California breeze whips her blonde curls across her face, stinging her cheeks. She is so, _so_ close, and she prays to any god who will listen that everything goes right, for once.

Jason is not too far from her, looking down at the camp he once led to victory. She can tell that he is as nervous as she, but for different reasons. She understands his worries, wants to comfort him somehow, but is too wrapped up in her own emotions.

Percy, Percy, _Percy_. Eight months. It's the longest they've been apart in the five years they've known each other. Has it really been that long? Has she really spent half of the last decade trying to keep that reckless son of Poseidon alive? _Yes_, her brain assures her. _But the question is, does _he_ remember any of it_?

There it is again, the doubt that she's been trying to keep in check. Jason told her that he remembered everything, and therefore it was likely that Percy did as well. The conversation left her somewhat reassured at the time, but the uncertainties that lingered choose this moment to resurface, unsettling her. She won't know for sure until she sees _him_ again, and that moment is fast approaching.

"Brace yourselves, kiddos!" she hears Leo yell. "We're making our landing!"

Annabeth's heart leaps to her throat. She can clearly see figures on the ground now. There are much more people at the Roman camp than at Camp Half-Blood, demigods of all ages. She's surprised to see children and entire families waiting among the crowds, watching the ship's descent. She'd never been able to fully grasp the concept of demigods growing old, being able to live their lives in peace and safety, and she had begun to think that it wasn't a reality, that it couldn't be achieved. But here is the evidence that proves her wrong.

The idea of families, of children, of growing old - it makes her think of Percy. _Percy. _Where is he? Her eyes scan the crowd anxiously. She takes in more details of the assembled campers, the way that the seem to be divided into groups - perhaps by cohort? - the mixed expressions on their faces, ranging from wonder to hostility to confusion, their battle stances, their formations. All of them wear purple, but there is only one girl in full Roman regalia, with an elegant white toga and a majestic purple cape. She stands at the front of the crowd, watching the ship descend with some mixture of wariness and excitement in her eyes.

"That's Reyna," Jason says from beside her. Annabeth starts; she'd forgotten that he was there too. "She was my fellow praetor before I, you know, disappeared."

"Praetor, did you say?" It's Piper this time. She's beside Jason, staring between him and Reyna with a thinly veiled look of suspicion.

"Yeah," says Jason. "It's kind of like camp leader. Elections for the position are held on June 24, the Feast of Fortuna - which was yesterday. Meaning they must have a new praetor." He squints. "But I don't see anyone else in a purple cloak - wait a minute. Who is that?"

Annabeth follows his gaze. She sees a tall guy wearing an outfit similar to Reyna's, arms around a beefy Asian kid and a petite, cocoa-skinned girl. He's talking to them, a huge smile on his face. He looks up at the ship, and Annabeth catches her breath. She _knows_ that face. She _knows_ that messy black hair, those mesmerizing sea green eyes, that dimpled, goofy grin. She _knows_ that laid-back gait, those broad shoulders, that look he's giving her.

"Percy," she chokes out.

Jason looks startled. "Percy Jackson? He's already been elected to praetor?"

Annabeth ignores him.

_That look_. Percy has seen her, and she knows it. His arms slowly detangle themselves from around his companions, and he walks up front to join Reyna, his eyes never leaving hers. She's not used to seeing him so refined, so noble-looking. Had he always been that tall? Had he always been that -

"Uh, guys?" Leo's voice jars her from her reverie. "We're, like, five seconds away from landing. Just so you know. I hope you guys have a game plan!"

Even though it hurts her to do so, she tears her gaze away from Percy. _Just for a moment_, she tells herself. The impending meeting requires her full attention. She's among a group of four campers about to face at least a hundred. There's always the chance that this first encounter could go horribly wrong.

"Jason," she says. "You should be the first to exit the ship. They know you - the sight of you will reassure them, make them less wary."

Jason nods. "Got it."

"Piper, stay close behind Jason. If anything goes wrong, we'll need you to use your charmspeak. Try to calm them down, if necessary, but don't overdo it or they'll get suspicious."

"Okay," Piper replies.

"Leo!" Annabeth yells. "You follow Jason and Piper. I'll be right behind you."

"Sure thing!" Leo yells.

The boat lands solidly on the ground, leaving a cloud of dust that temporarily obscures their view. Annabeth takes a breath. _Here we go_, she thinks.

As the dust clears, the campers catch sight of Jason. There's a general clamor. The ramp lowers, and Jason steps out, to a flurry of cheers. Annabeth sees him smile in a '_it's good to be home_' kind of way. Piper follows him out of the ship. The cheers don't exactly fade, but the whispering increases. She can hear murmurs of '_graecus'_ among the crowd - Latin for Greek, or outsider. Leo exits the ship. The murmurs continue.

Now it's Annabeth's turn. She steels herself, although her heart is threatening to dislodge itself from her chest. It would be just her luck for her to spontaneously faint in front of the Romans. _This is _not_ the time to look weak. Be strong. Be strong_.

She makes her way to the edge of the ramp. Jason, Piper, and Leo already at the bottom, being greeted by Reyna. Percy greets them too, gives them warm handshakes, but he looks distracted.

She keeps her eyes on him as she puts one foot in front of the other. _Left, right. Left, right._

He glances up, and he _sees_ her. His face breaks out into that smile that she knows so, _so_ well. He breaks through the crowd, and her steps quicken. _leftrightleftrightleftright_ -

She comes to the end of the ramp at the same time he does. Their bodies clash in a warm embrace. She clutches onto him like it's the end of the world, like it's their last day on earth. Her senses are overloaded - she smells his familiar sea-breeze scent, feels his warm touch, hears the sound of his heart beating, his breathing - it's all so wonderfully familiar. It's all _him_. It's all _Percy_.

She's laughing and crying a little and she hopes she's not blubbering but all of these emotions she's been bottling up - they all just spill out. She wants to tell him how much she misses him, how glad she is that she's here with him, but she can't find the words. Her touch communicates all of that for her. They pull slightly away from each other, but only enough so they can see each other's faces. She holds his in her hands, gets a good look into his eyes for the first time in forever. They're so familiar, those twin pools of green so filled with warmth and tenderness and just as misty as hers - she'll make sure to tease him about that later. She doesn't know what he sees in her face but she hopes it's something close to what she sees in his. His smile is so big, his eyes so bright - it makes her feel warm inside, the kind of warm that she never thought she'd feel again.

It's at this moment that he leans forward and kisses her, surprising her - she was usually the initiator in the relationship. It's a quick, chaste kiss - she knows they can't do much in front of this crowd of people - but it's just as good as any they've ever had. And the fiery, intense look he gives her afterward tells her that there's more he's saving for later.

She laughs, in spite of herself. "So we meet again, Seaweed Brain."

His eyes twinkle. "So we meet again, Wise Girl."

* * *

**A/N**: Dang. That took me a while to write. Tried to experiment with a new writing style here, similar to the last chapter. I hope it turned out okay. :P I also hope I did okay with Leo and Piper and Jason - I haven't read the Lost Hero in a while, and I read it only once, so I don't quite have their personalities down. Did my best though.

Anyway, happy belated Christmas, lovely people! Hope it was great for all of you. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a great time celebrating whatever it is you celebrate! 'Tis the season, my friends.

So the next major holiday coming up is - gasp - NEW YEAR'S EVE! Man, this year went by quick. It's scary to think that I'm one year closer to graduation. I hope next year goes by slower; I am so not ready for all that heavy stuff yet.

But anyway, last year I did a chapter for Christmas but I realized I failed to do one for New Year's Eve! So that will be your next chapter. I'll try to have it up before this Saturday.

Until then!

-Alexa

P.S.: Reviews would be a nice belated Christmas gift. ;)


	17. Zero

**Chapter Sixteen**: Zero

**Summary**: Annabeth and Percy celebrate their first New Year's Eve together and decide to participate in a little challenge. Pretend that the Lost Hero didn't happen. Warning: extremely fluffy.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own PJO; Rick Riordan does! (Did I ever tell you guys he visited my school when I was in 6th grade? I was pretty starstruck, to be honest.)

* * *

Annabeth huffed. "I swear, if _one more_ inebriated reveler barrels into me, I'm going to-"

"_Breathe_, Wise Girl," Percy interrupted. "And relax, will you? It's New Year's Eve! We're in Times Square! There are people who would love to be where we are right now."

"It seems like everyone who wants to be here already is," Annabeth groaned. "I mean, look around."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Lighten up! New Year's Eve is no time for moping. It's a time for reflecting back on the previous year and celebrating as we usher in a new one."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Coming from you, that was unusually deep and philosophical. Did you get that from a greeting card or something?"

"I think it was a commercial. But that's not the point."

Annabeth laughed, which made Percy smile a little in spite of himself. Even though the humor usually came at his expense, it felt good to make her laugh. They'd only been dating for a few months, but already they were finishing each other's sentences and completely understanding each other, no words necessary. All of that may have sounded like some stupid lovey-dovey crap, but Percy realized that this was something they'd been doing for as long as they'd known each other, and it had only been magnified as they spent more time together.

However, this was the first major thing they'd done together in a while - Annabeth had spent Christmas with her family back in San Francisco, but had agreed, much to Percy's delight, to return to New York to spend New Year's with him. Picking her up from the airport had been a nightmare due to the sheer volume of people who wanted to ring in the new year in Times Square, but seeing her smiling face when he picked her up had made it all worthwhile.

Percy groaned inwardly as he replayed his previous thoughts in his mind. He sounded completely and utterly cheesy. His friends at school liked to tease him for being totally whipped, which Percy was usually able to laugh off, but sometimes he thought to himself, _Am I _that _head-over-heels_? The idea was kind of scary, but normal at the same time, which he found kind of concerning. He knew he felt something for Annabeth, something_ big_, but he wasn't sure what to make of it yet.

"Hello? Earth to Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, jarring him from his thoughts. He pulled himself away from his inner monologue and focused on her face, which wore that half smile that he had always found quite attractive. "What were you thinking of?"

He grinned and shook his head. "Nothing."

Annabeth snorted. "That's not that hard to believe, but you had this weird pensive look on your face - like something besides kelp was actually floating around inside of your head."

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. "I was just thinking about how nice it is to be here. With you."

It wasn't quite the truth, but it certainly wasn't a lie - being here in the center of all the action with her beside him was refreshing. It felt good.

Percy didn't think that what he said was anything too gushy, but Annabeth beamed up at him all twinkly-eyed and rosy-cheeked like he'd just proposed to her or something. (_What the Hades? Where had _that _thought_ _come from?_)

She pulled him down for a kiss. "I was thinking the same thing."

Their lips were about to meet when a thought occurred to Percy. He jerked back. After seeing the look on Annabeth's face, he immediately wished he hadn't - the last thing he needed was to make himself seem like a complete douchebag in front of her.

She knit her eyebrows together, looking a little hurt. "What is it?"

Percy immediately felt extremely stupid, because his explanation sounded totally cheesy and _so very_ lame. "I-" he stammered."I was just thinking - you know, since it's New Year's Eve and all - that we should wait until -"

"Until the ball drops?" Annabeth laughed and poked him playfully in the side. "I never thought you were into little traditions like that."

Percy shrugged, still slightly abashed. "Well, normally I'm not..." He paused. "But this _is_ our first New Year's together. And stuff."

Percy desperately hoped that his cheeks, which were already red from the cold, didn't turn any darker. Whenever he tried to say something nice like that, it always came out all wrong. He prayed to Aphrodite that sometime in the future, he would learn how to stop making everything weird like that. Awkwardness was definitely not romantic.

He looked down at Annabeth to gauge her reaction. She seemed to be amused, as usual, by his total lack of smoothness, but there was something in her eyes that he couldn't quite read. The only way he could describe it was _warm_. Like his words had made her happy inside. It made _him_ feel happy in response. Maybe he wasn't as lacking in the romance department as he thought he was.

"Well," said Annabeth. "I'm all for it. I won't kiss you again until the clock strikes twelve. But, my question is..." She leaned closer to him, whispering in his ear. "Can _you_ wait that long?"

Her warm breath on his ear made Percy shiver a little. Annabeth could be such a flirt when she wanted to be. It wasn't fair at all. But this sounded like a challenge. And Percy did _not_ back out of a challenge, especially when he was the one who'd suggested it in the first place. So he turned toward her, gave her his patented mischievous grin, and whispered in her ear, "I certainly can."

Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he thought he saw Annabeth blush a little bit. He smiled to himself.

The duo spent the next couple of hours trying to distract themselves from the task at hand. They chattered about nothing, bickered over little things, cracked stupid jokes and made sarcastic comments to each other. They found themselves huddling against each other for warmth, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, and thinking of their proximity drove Percy mad. He _was_ a teenage guy, after all. It was hard to distract himself from... certain subjects.

On more than a few occasions, Annabeth caught Percy staring. Depending on where his eyes were wandering, she'd either give him a wicked grin or smack him in the arm. After a few of these occurrences, she said, with a glint in her eye, "Getting a little antsy, Seaweed Brain?"

He wrinkled his nose at her. "Not at all."

"I can feel your resolve weakening," she murmured as she stood on tiptoe. Her lips were mere inches from his. "Aren't you just a _little_ tempted?"

He moved in to bridge the distance. Their breath mingled. He inched closer, and closer, and then -

"Nope!" he said cheerfully, even though that was a complete lie. He gently but firmly pushed her back down to her normal height. Annabeth huffed.

"You're acting weird," she said, as if she'd given the matter much thought (which of course, she probably had). "Normally you are the least patient person ever. What's the deal?"

"Well," he said casually, "_someone_ told me that the longer you wait, the greater the reward."

She considered that. "Hmmm. I've trained you well."

"_Trained_ me? What am I, your pet dog?"

"Don't be silly. If you were an animal, you wouldn't be a dog. Maybe...a guinea pig."

"Uh, let's not bring _that _up again. Besides, if anyone's getting impatient here, it's you."

"Oh, shut up."

"You're not denying it."

"Shut _up."_

Around them, the crowd was growing more frenzied. Percy snuck a glance at the digital clock, which read 11:57 p.m. He could see the host of one of the several New Year's Eve television specials approaching their area, and people were going crazy, pressing up against the rails. Percy and Annabeth were caught somewhere in the middle, but he managed to navigate them through the crowds and position them near the barricade. He glanced at the clock again. 11:59. The countdown was beginning.

Percy smirked. "And you thought I wouldn't be able to make it."

Annabeth widened her eyes in mock surprise. "Disciplined, patient Percy? Are we in a parallel universe?" She paused. "But, you know, you still have approximately...38 seconds."

"37."

"36!"

"35."

And so they continued. Soon, the countdown timer made it to 10 seconds, at which point Percy took her face in his hands. He'd never been one for romantic gestures, but it seemed like the natural thing to do. It just felt..._right_.

Annabeth gave him a soft, searching look, as if she'd seen something in his eyes that she wasn't familiar with...but maybe she didn't mind that so much.

Percy was all right with that.

Around them, the crowd was going ballistic. They seemed to move in a uniform, shrieking mass, all about to burst with anticipation.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

Percy gently lifted Annabeth's chin up.

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"FIVE!"

"FOUR!"

His breath mingled with hers. Annabeth's hands pressed lightly into the small of his back, sending shivers up his spine. She was the only one who knew that spot, the only one he would ever let near it. It reminded him of just how important she was, and he that was something she wouldn't let him forget.

"_THREE!_"

"_TWO!"_

_"__ONE!_"

"_Zero_," Annabeth breathed, a millisecond before their lips met.

Percy couldn't say if it was their best kiss ever, or the worst, or somewhere in between. Every kiss was something kind of special. But Percy would reflect later that there was something about this one - maybe it was the hustle and bustle of people around them, the cheers, the general celebratory atmosphere - that set it apart from the others, that made it unique.

But in that moment, nothing seemed to exist except him and Annabeth. It reminded him of the kiss they'd shared at the bottom of the canoe lake - was it only a few months ago? Everything around him was muted, but at the same time had astonishing clarity. It was an indescribable feeling. He smiled a little against her lips, causing her to smile in response.

Unbeknownst to the duo, TV cameras were in the vicinity, sweeping over the crowd. One of them would capture their kiss for a few brief seconds, broadcasting it to the millions of people watching. A photojournalist's camera would capture their embrace, and the image would appear on a number of prominent newspapers. Maybe to some they merely appeared to be two lovestruck teenagers, but one didn't have to see through the Mist to know that there may have been just a little bit more to their story.

* * *

**A/N**: That was the fluffiest thing I've written in a while. I feel kind of nauseated. I'll try to make it less atrocious next time, pinky swear. But anyways, I wanted to do something Percabeth-related for New Year's Eve, and this was the result. I know, it's more than a week late. Sorry. But better late than never, eh?

Review if you wish, and feel free to leave prompt suggestions. Thanks for reading!

-Alexa


	18. Find

**Chapter Seventeen**: Find  
**Summary**: Percy and Annabeth have always been able to find each other.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything PJO-related.

* * *

The vision that lay before Annabeth's eyes was beautiful.

It was everything she'd ever wanted, everything she'd ever dreamed of. Luke, her mother, her father...they were all there waiting for her, smiles on their faces, arms outstreched. Around them rose a skyline full of majestic buildings, skyscapers that she _knew_ were her creations. This was what she wanted. This was _real_.

But something was wrong. The vision was interspersed with waves, bubbles, along with the terrifying images of human-headed vultures. And through it all, she felt like she was being pulled, pulled away from her own personal paradise. She screamed, she fought - she couldn't let this fantasy be taken away from her. Not when it was just within her grasp.

She choked on seawater, and the vision started to crack around the edges. What was this? What was going on? Which way was up? She felt her head go under and she started to panic. The vision wasn't real. But was this her reality? Would she be sentenced to die beneath the waves?

She panicked, and wriggled for all she was worth. She had to get back to that paradise. Hands encircled themselves around her waist, pulling her deeper. _No!_ she screamed, choking on the water. _Let me go!_

And suddenly - a whiteout of bubbles. Suddenly, she could breathe again. She shivered, coughing and wheezing, gasping for breath. They were still underwater, but encased inside some sort of giant air bubble. She looked up, meeting Percy's sea-green eyes. He looked wary, as if he didn't know what she was going to do next. And then it hit her. The Sirens. Like a fool, she'd jumped overboard and swam towards them. She could've died.

She started to cry. She hated crying in front of other people. She hated looking weak. But at this moment, she _was_ weak. She needed to be held, and comforted. And so she laid her head on Percy's shoulder, allowing the tears to flow freely. Hands, hesitant at first, rubbed her back, but then settled into a steady, calming pattern. Her breathing became less ragged. She started to relax.

When her sobs had for the most part subsided, she looked up at him. His eyes were intense, but somehow reassuring at the same time.

"I'll get us back to the ship," he promised. "It's okay. Just hang on."

She nodded. It struck her that she had come close to death. She could have been lost.

But because of him, she wasn't.

"Thank you. For finding me," she murmured. She knew he couldn't hear her because of the wax in his ears, but it was something she needed to say, nonetheless.

He looked away, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and began to guide their air bubble back towards the ship. And she remained in his arms, for the first time in her life not thinking. Just being.

* * *

He'd been gone for a week.

His chances were slim, but she stubbornly refused to give up hope. He was still out there. She _knew_ it. She didn't know how she knew, but she could feel it in her bones, in the very fiber of her being. He was okay. He was _Percy_, for the gods' sake. He couldn't die. No matter what foolish thing he did, he always came back alive. He was lucky that way.

She refused to think that his luck had run out.

But as the days passed by, her confidence began to waver. Surely he'd be back. Surely today was the day. She prayed to every god she could think of for his safe return. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't just leave her like _that_. Especially not after she'd-

She stopped herself. She couldn't think of what had happened in Mount St. Helens. It was too painful. As much as she tried to suffocate the possibility, it remained in the far recesses of her mind, an unwelcome intruder into her thoughts: _What if he hadn't made it out?_

It reminded her of what a fool she'd been to leave him. She should have known better than that. And now, she did, but it was too late.

Chiron approached her after a few more days had passed. "Annabeth, my dear..." He paused. "It's been two weeks. Perhaps we should begin to consider funeral arrangements. He deserves to be laid to rest in a way that befits the hero he was."

_Is_, she wanted to say. The hero he _is_. But the logical side of her brain told her that there was no use in trying to deny it any further. He was gone.

-o0o-

The shroud-burning ceremony took place the next day. Chiron spoke first, addressing the assembled campers. "As you all may know," he began, "Percy Jackson has been missing for two weeks. He caused the eruption at Mount St. Helens, and no one has heard from him since. It saddens me greatly to say that now we must assume he is dead. After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."

Annabeth strode forward, gingerly picking up a shroud of green silk, embroidered with a trident. It was heavier than it should have been. She paused beside the flames, hesitant. _This is it_, she thought. _The final goodbye_.

She placed it on the fire, watching as the flames enveloped it, blackening the precious material. A new well of tears sprang up behind her eyes. For the first time, she realized that he was really, truly gone. And she'd never know what would have happened to them, had he lived.

She faced the audience, choking back tears. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had. He..." She looked up. When she saw him, she thought it was a ghost, some spirit back to haunt her. But when he gave her that sheepish smile and that awkward wave, she knew without a doubt that it was him, in the flesh. "He's right there!"

She burst through the crowd of campers, ignoring the cheers and the shouts. When she got within earshot, she screeched, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

He winced a little, as if he was afraid she was going to punch him, but she surprised even herself when she enveloped him in a fierce hug.

He had been lost, but against all odds, she had managed to find him again.

* * *

He had gone missing before, but this time it was different.

This time, she knew he was alive, but she didn't know whether he would be the same person that had kissed her goodnight on his last night at camp. She didn't know if he would remember her or anything that had transpired between them. She didn't know if he even knew who he was.

She hated not knowing.

As the Argo II descended toward Camp Jupiter, her heart leapt into her throat. He was so close. They touched down, and it was all she could do to let Jason and Piper and Leo exit first. As soon as it was her turn, she scampered out, her eyes searching the crowd. They landed on a tall, dark-haired guy wearing a regal purple cape over his toga - obviously he was an authority figure. But she knew exactly who it was, and that smile he gave her warmed her right down to her toes.

She wasn't even aware of running to him or colliding with him. In fact, she lost track of time altogether. All she knew in that moment was his arms, his smell, his warmth. She didn't have to ask - judging from the look he was giving her, he remembered. He remembered _everything_.

"I found you," she murmured. "You were gone. But I found you."

He kissed her forehead. "You know, everything else was missing, but _you_...you were always there with me. I didn't have to find you. You were never lost."

For the first time in a long while, a genuine smile graced her features.

* * *

Blood. So much blood.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

His head lay in her lap, his hair matted. More blood escaped his body with every beat of his heart. His breath rattled.

Tears streamed out of her eyes. "No-Percy-you can't just-"

"It's-" he paused to cough. Blood plastered his lips. "-fine, Annabeth. It'll be okay."

"It's _not_ fine, Percy. Come on! You need nectar, and ambrosia. Here, take some, it'll help-"

Percy, however feeble he was, managed to push her hands away. One look in his eyes, and she knew. He had accepted his fate. He knew what was coming, and would face it with no fear.

"Listen," he rasped. "It's up to you now. I know you can lead. I know that you'll keep fighting, and that you won't let them win. You're the strongest person I've ever known, Annabeth. If anyone can do this, you can."

_Wrong. If there was anyone who can do this, it's_ you_._ She swallowed back the lump in her throat. At this moment, she was anything but strong.

A thoughtful look flitted into his eyes, as swift as a shadow. His fingers reached up, caressing her face, wiping the tears off her dirt-streaked cheeks. She leaned into his touch, meeting his gaze.

The corner of his lips turned up into a semblance of his signature cheeky smile. "Well, Wise Girl, how about a kiss for luck? It's tradition, right?"

It was a running joke that they'd had for years now, but in this context it took on new meaning. Despite the ache in her chest, she leaned down and kissed him, trying to ignore the metallic taste of blood. _His_blood.

She pulled away, and they both exhaled. His breath was noticeably weaker. Under different circumstances, she probably would have make a joke about how she had literally taken his breath away. But this was no laughing matter. This was the end.

She looked him straight in the eye. "I love you."

"I love you." He paused, mustering up what little energy he had left. "Tell everyone I love them too, okay? And that I'm sorry I had to go, but this can't...they shouldn't give up. They can't afford to." He clutched her arm, his grip frail. "And, Annabeth..."

Her brain was foggy, muddled with sheer emotion, and she had to fight to regain control of her senses. "What is it?"

He may have been dying, but the intensity of his gaze captivated her, rooted her to the spot. "We'll find each other. We always do."

She couldn't contain her tears any longer. "I know, Percy. I know."

* * *

**A/N**: Well. That was kind of depressing to write. But the last chapter turned out so icky and overly fluffy that I felt like I had to compensate for it. Plus, since I'm totally morbid, I've thought of a billion super-angsty death scenes for both Percy and Annabeth and I just _had_ to write one out.

Anyway, reviews are much appreciated! I'll try to make the next chapter more light-hearted, I promise.

-Alexa

PS: In honor of Valentine's Day tomorrow, I'm thinking of writing a Valentine's Day-themed fic. Should I? I mean, it'll probably won't be up until this weekend at least... sigh.


	19. Date

**Chapter Eighteen: **Date  
**Summary**: He'd been on dates with her before. So why was the thought of this one so terrifying? Percy and Annabeth's Valentine's Day date, inspired by the summary for one of the short stories in the Demigod Diaries (Which comes out in August of this year, I believe?) and also a drawing by the lovely burdge on Tumblr. :)  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

* * *

_Come on, _Percy attempted to reassure himself. _It's just a date. We've gone out together before. It's not something entirely new__._

But it actually _was_ something entirely new.

In the months since they'd been dating, Percy and Annabeth had found plenty of time to escape from the confines of training and academia and simply spend time with each other. They'd gone out to movies, shared cheeseburgers at Le Parker Meridien, laid down on a blanket on the roof of his apartment building while she tried to teach him the names of constellations. True, most of these outings had been interrupted by monster attacks, but that was something to be expected. Just a fairly typical circumstance in the fairly typical life of a demigod.

But despite all of the stuff they'd done together, they'd never actually gone on a _date_ date. Percy knew Annabeth wasn't one to fret about the fanciness of something - or the lack thereof - but he knew her well enough to know that sometimes, although she'd never admit it, she _did_ enjoy being treated like a princess.

And so Percy had made a Herculean effort to _not_ forget Valentine's Day - after all, this was their first one together as a couple, not to mention the first one that either of them had a special someone to share it with. He'd booked reservations at a nice restaurant, bought her flowers, and also an architecture book that he noticed she'd been eyeing during the times she'd dragged him to Barnes and Noble. Percy knew Annabeth was _not_ a jewelry or candy or perfume type of girl, and if he'd given any of those things to her she'd probably launch off into a long-winded rant about how it was a shame that he had fallen for the stereotype that girls went crazy for foolish things of that sort and she'd thought he was _better_ than that, she'd thought he _knew_ her better than that, and was he really trying to give her a gift based off a mere generalization? Was he _serious_?

Percy may or may not have once been a victim of one of those long-winded rants. In his defense, he thought she would _like_ the owl necklace he'd gotten her for Christmas. Owls were kind of her trademark, after all. Well, more specifically a trademark of her mom, but... well, at the time, he'd _thought_ it was a good gift. Then again, he might have been able to avoid Annabeth's chastising altogether if he hadn't made the mistake of saying, "But I thought girls _liked_ jewelry."

But after that blunder, he'd resolved to not to screw up anymore - or at least _try_ not to screw up anymore. And so he'd done his best to do all the things that a good, attentive boyfriend should. Not that he had much experience in that area. He was just kind of winging it. But so far, so good. For the most part, at least.

Percy examined himself in the mirror. He'd worn a tie maybe once before in his life, and if he wasn't mistaken that was when he was 7 and his mother had dragged him to a wedding for one of her friends. He had ended up totally ruining both the tie and the wedding itself, but that wasn't an event he liked to dwell on. The point was, he was sadly inexperienced when it came to ties, and thus had been forced to Google the instructions on how to tie one in order to avoid having to deal with his mother or worse, his girlfriend. But even though he had followed the instructions to a T, the tie still looked suspiciously like a noose. He sighed and ripped it off. _Well, never mind that_.

The rest of his attire was fairly simple: pressed khaki pants and a button-down Oxford which was the only vaguely dressy shirt he owned. It was a little tighter than he wanted it to be, but the last time Annabeth had seen him in it she had winked at him and said that it made him look more muscular. So maybe that was okay. He didn't bother to attempt to fix his hair, since previous experience had taught him that the mop atop his head was a beast not to be tamed, nor did he put on cologne. Annabeth had once told him that he had a sort of natural scent to him, similar to that of a clean sea breeze. Percy supposed that was another upside of being a son of Poseidon - natural cologne!

After he decided that he looked fairly presentable, he snuck a glance at the clock. 6:37. Miraculously, he still had enough time to make the brief trek to Annabeth's dorm building; she was expecting him by about 7:00.

Kissing his mother goodbye and promising for the umpteenth time that, _yes_, they _would_ stop by the apartment after dinner so she could take pictures of them in all their finery, Percy traipsed out the door, wondering if maybe tonight things could be nice and normal for once.

He should have known better than to get his hopes up.

* * *

He arrived at Annabeth's dorm a couple of minutes early - quite an unusual occurrence for the perpetually late son of Poseidon. He was relieved to find that he was not the only male waiting in the lobby of an all-girls residency hall; there were quite a few nervous looking guys there as well, holding slightly wilted bouquets, no doubt waiting for their significant others. Percy gave Annabeth's name to the receptionist, who informed him that she would be down shortly. Afterwards, he had nothing more to do than sit in a chair and wait.

Annabeth emerged from the elevators promptly, almost as if she'd been waiting beside them for a long time. She looked absolutely stunning. Then again, Percy reasoned, this was Annabeth, who managed to look beautiful even when covered in scratches and monster dust. She wore a curve-hugging jersey dress of soft blue material, black platform heels, and her signature gray owl earrings. Her hair was down and fell onto her shoulders in glossy golden waves. Apparently Percy had a fairly strange look on his face, for Annabeth blushed slightly and broke eye contact. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

As Annabeth approached, he stood up and greeted her with a quick kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day, Wise Girl."

She grinned at him. "Happy Valentine's Day, Seaweed Brain. You sure do clean up well."

"I could say the same for you." He handed her a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots, as well as the gift bag that contained the architecture book. "These are for you."

Annabeth looked flustered, and Percy's palms began to sweat a little - had he once again broken some unwritten rule within Annabeth's code of conduct? She peeked inside the gift bag, and Percy's misgivings eased when she began to smile. She gazed up at him, a pleased flush coloring her cheeks. "Geez, Percy. You never fail to surprise me."

"_Surprise_ you? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Annabeth scrunched up her nose. "Well, generally speaking, a little bit of both. Tonight, it's mostly a good thing...but also a bit of a bad thing, since it makes my gift for you a tad less impressive in comparison."

"Psh," Percy scoffed, absentmindedly brushing back a stray curl from Annabeth's face. "It's the thought that counts, right?"

"I suppose," Annabeth sighed. "If you're wondering where your gift is, by the way, it's back at your place. I made some arrangements with your mom to keep it there."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Really now? What's this gift you speak of? And when exactly did you get a chance to sneak it in?"

Annabeth winked. "Patience, young grasshopper. All will be revealed in time. That being said, didn't you make dinner reservations?"

"Right!" said Percy, checking his watch. "Uh, we should probably go now."

Annabeth took his arm. "Lead the way, Seaweed Brain."

* * *

_So far, so good_, Percy mused as he and Annabeth made their way to the restaurant. Everything seemed to have gone off without any major hitches, which was a rare but always welcome occurrence in Percy's life. Basically, at this moment, things seemed...perfect.

But that was also part of the reason why Percy couldn't completely relax himself. It almost seemed _too_ easy. Like something was waiting in the wings, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Percy kept his free hand in his pocket, clutching Riptide nervously. Annabeth seemed to be feeling the same sort of foreboding he was; her eyes scanned the shadows, searching for any signs of movement. As they walked, they kept up a light-hearted banter; neither of them wanted to voice their concerns, though they both knew what the other was thinking through their glances and body language.

At this point, Percy and Annabeth were almost to the restaurant, and Percy could feel his nerves start to fade. _Just one more block. Almost there, almost there!_

But they never quite made it there, for at that moment a loud booming voice announced, "Ah, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase! Just the demigods I was looking for."

Percy's instincts took over. He let go of Annabeth's arm and drew Riptide as he spun around, the blade pointed directly at their assailant. Annabeth had dropped both the bouquet and the gift bag and drawn her celestial bronze knife out of her tiny clutch, leaving the ADD part of Percy to wonder how she'd managed to fit it in there.

But as soon as the duo recognized who was standing before them, they quickly lowered their weapons. "Um...Lord Hermes?" Percy stammered. "What exactly are you-"

Annabeth elbowed Percy in the side. Although it didn't hurt him, it was enough to merit an irritated scowl. "What Percy _meant_ to say, Lord Hermes," Annabeth continued sweetly, "is to what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?"

"Hello, Percy and Annabeth. How are you doing tonight?"

"We're doing great," Percy replied, uncertainty coloring his tone. "Um, Lord Hermes, is there something wrong? Is everything okay up on Olympus?"

"What? Yes, oh yes, everything is fine," Hermes said. Judging from his appearance, however, it seemed as if things were far from fine. His beard seemed singed. One of the wings on his sandals was charred. He had a strange, wild look in his eyes and kept glancing around, as if searching for something. Basically, he looked like an on-the-run criminal who had just lost a fight with a blow torch.

"Lord Hermes, no offense, but you really don't seem fine," said Annabeth. "Where's your staff? Where's George and Martha?"

"That's the thing," Hermes said. "It appears as if they, along with my staff, have been, er, taken."

"_Taken_?" Annabeth exclaimed incredulously. "By _who_? Gods aren't allowed to usurp other gods' symbols of power. Which means, it must have been a demigod." Her eyes widened. "Oh no. Lord Hermes, was it someone we know?"

"No, no, nothing of that sort," Hermes said. "But I'm afraid the reality isn't much better. You see...my staff, and George and Martha, have been stolen by...a fire-breathing giant."

Percy and Annabeth gaped at Hermes for several minutes.

"A _fire-breathing giant_?" Annabeth exclaimed at the same time that Percy muttered, "Well, glad I haven't met _him_ yet."

"Yes," Hermes said, looking extremely pained. "And, er, I may or may not have had difficulties retrieving my staff, due to the fact that I need said staff to channel my power."

Annabeth and Percy exchanged glances. "So what you're saying is you need our help to get your staff back," Annabeth reasoned.

"When you put it that way, it sounds rather pathetic," Hermes sighed. "But in essence, yes."

Annabeth opened her mouth, perhaps to start interrogating Hermes as to the whereabouts of this mysterious fire-breathing giant, but Percy jumped in. "You know, it _is_ Valentine's Day. And we were kind of in the middle of something."

Annabeth stared at her boyfriend in horror. "Percy!"

Percy, however, simply kept going. "Look, I'm really sorry you've lost your symbol of power and everything, but with all due respect, Lord Hermes sir, can this wait until tomorrow?"

Annabeth looked shell-shocked. Hermes looked angry.

"'Can this wait until tomorrow?' _'Can this wait until tomorrow_?' Clearly, Perseus Jackson, you fail to understand the magnitude of the situation. I am a god missing his symbol of power, and therefore I have no way to sufficiently release said power. Of course, you can see how this could become quite a pressing situation. So to answer your question, Jackson, NO! This absolutely CANNOT wait until tomorrow!"

Percy sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that." Before Hermes got any madder and decided to turn him into dust, he turned to Annabeth and said brightly, "So. Are you up for some fire-breathing giant hunting?"

* * *

The duo returned to Percy's apartment several hours later, both of them looking like they'd spent the evening being pelted with burning coals. Which, actually, wasn't too far from the truth.

Together, the two made quite an interesting pair. Annabeth's dress had a huge rip up the side and was burned through in several places. It may have looked bedraggled on someone else, but on Annabeth, it actually looked quite attractive. Percy hoped that she wouldn't catch him staring, but part of him wondered what would happen if she did. One platform heel was broken and the other had gone missing completely. She held the clutch containing her monster dust-stained knife in one hand and Percy's arm in the other. Percy himself hadn't fared much better; his shirt and pants were also quite charred, and judging from the smell, so was some of his hair. Fantastic.

As soon as they opened the door, Percy's mom, Sally, was immediately upon them. "What happened?" she burst out. "It's past 12, and I tried calling your phone, Annabeth-" She broke off as soon as she took in their appearances. "Oh. Monster attack?"

"Fire-breathing giant," Percy clarified as he dumped Annabeth's present - which luckily, he'd been able to retrieve - and his apartment keys on the counter. "It was a lot of fun!"

Paul's eyes widened. "A _fire-breathing giant_?"

Percy threw his hands up. "That's exactly how I reacted!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Hermes' caduceus got stolen," she said to Sally by way of explanation. "He needed help getting it back."

"And of course you two are the ones he turned to for that task," Sally sighed. "But no matter. The important thing is that you two are here, and safe." Her eyes took on a more concerned light. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Nectar? Ambrosia?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No, thank you, Mrs. Blofis. We're fine."

"Though I could use some dinner," Percy interjected. "We had to skip out on our reservations."

"I certainly wouldn't mind whipping something up," said Sally. "Unless-" and here she paused, shooting Annabeth a knowing smile, "-unless you'd like to skip to dessert?"

Annabeth grinned. "We'd love to." She traipsed to the kitchen, where she opened the oven and brought out a batch of blue cupcakes, complete with blue icing and blue M&Ms on top. She smiled sheepishly at Percy. "It's not much, I know. But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?"

Percy laughed. "Right."

Everyone grabbed a cupcake. Percy playfully smeared some icing on Annabeth's nose, and Annabeth, laughing, engaged him in an icing war that lasted them a good part of an hour. Sally made sure to take lots of pictures to commemorate the event.

Later, Percy would look back at those pictures, at the ash streaks on Annabeth's hair and at the burn marks on his clothes and realize that despite all the chaos of that night, he couldn't think of a better way to celebrate his first Valentine's Day with his girlfriend.

Then again, it would have been nice to not have to make up excuses as to why he and Annabeth looked extremely charred in all the photographs.

* * *

**A/N:** So this is like two weeks late. Whoops! Sorry. Then again, I probably should have gotten an earlier start on this fic. Heh. And sorry for any cheesiness/fluffiness. I can't control myself when it comes to Percy and Annabeth. I just love them so much.

Anyway, as mentioned before, this is based on the summary for one of the short stories in the Demigod Diaries, which will come out this summer, a couple of months before Mark of Athena. I'm super pumped for it, especially since Rick Riordan has revealed that one of the stories will be in Percy's first-person POV. Yay! I just love Percy and all his witty thoughts. He makes me laugh. :) Also mentioned earlier, this is somewhat based on a drawing by burdge on Tumblr, also known as burdge-bug on deviantArt. If you haven't heard of her, go check out her drawings! They're absolutely amazing. Not only does she do art based on Percy Jackson, but also the Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and a bunch of other stuff. Cool beans.

Anyway, I should probably go and get started on the huge pile of homework that awaits me. Sigh. As always, reviews are appreciated, as are prompt suggestions. And, while you're at it, feel free to throw in some Percabeth fic recommendations! Some of the ones I've read lately are just downright horrendous and make my skin crawl. In return, I'll throw in some fic recommendations of my own: anything by greenconverses or icy roses and also the fics "Kiss and Make Up" and "Innocent Swim", both by StBu.

Until later. Happy reading! And I hope you enjoyed. :)

-Alexa

PS: I really do like reviews. Just saying.


	20. Fool

**Chapter Nineteen**: Fool

**Summary**: Well, I can't really say anything without giving it away.

**Disclaimer**: Oh yeah, I totally own PJO.

* * *

They traipsed through Central Park, hand in hand, enjoying the lovely April weather. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and the day was drenched in refreshing normalcy. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

So why was Annabeth acting so weird?

Percy had been making small talk with his girlfriend as they walked along, making wisecracks as was his usual. Annabeth laughed at his jokes, gave him little smirks, but there was a strange expression in her eyes - some sort of look that Percy couldn't exactly identify, and it worried him. He didn't know what could possibly be wrong.

Annabeth's eyes flicked to an empty park bench, and she looked up at him, all traces of mirth gone. "Hey," she said. "Let's sit down. I-I need to tell you something."

Percy took note of the waver in her voice and frowned, concerned. "What's wrong?"

She looked away. "I'll tell you. Come on. Let's just sit."

Percy obliged, sitting down on the bench beside Annabeth, his brow furrowed. "Seriously, Annabeth, is everything okay?"

She refused to look at him. "Percy, I...just please don't be mad."

He stared at her, traces of anxiety creeping up through his veins. "_Mad_? What's going on? What happened?"

She couldn't meet his eyes, instead focusing on a crack in the sidewalk. "Percy...I'm pregnant."

The statement took a long time to sink in. After a few minutes of stammering, Percy finally managed to exclaim, "_What_?"

Annabeth winced.

Percy grimaced in response. "Annabeth, I'm not mad or anything-it's just-didn't we use _protection_?"

She sighed. "Yes. But even so, it's not foolproof. There was still a possibility of this happening. And it did."

Percy pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling as if he were slowly sinking into quicksand. He'd fought countless monsters, almost gotten himself killed, and yet he had never faced something like this. Fatherhood. He was going to be a father. The idea was almost too big for him to grasp. This wasn't right. They should have waited. Why hadn't they waited?

He looked up at her. Her eyes were wide, maybe a little frightened-she'd probably noticed the range of emotions playing across his features. Despite the utter shock he was feeling at that moment, he couldn't let her see how panicked he was. He reached out and pulled her close, circling his arms around her shoulders. "Gods, Annabeth," he murmured into her hair. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

She held onto him tighter. "It's both of our faults, Percy. Both of us are to blame."

He gently pushed her away, so he could have a clear view of her face. She still wasn't quite meeting his eyes. "Annabeth...does anyone know yet?"

Her face crumpled, and she buried it into his chest. "No," she mumbled. "No one knows. Our parents...we're still so young, Percy. I don't know what to do. I really don't."

Annabeth hated to admit she didn't know something, and the fact that she had just done so made Percy want to do something, _anything_ to make her feel better.

Gingerly, he took her face in his hands. "Hey," he murmured. "Look at me."

She did, albeit unwillingly.

He pushed back a strand of her hair, preparing himself for what he was about to tell her. This was no small task he was about to take on, but it was his responsibility, his duty. He couldn't, _wouldn't_ let Annabeth down, not for anything. Not when they'd been by each other's sides for so long. Personal loyalty may have been his fatal flaw, but it was also one of his strengths, the trait that gave him the willpower to stick around when he was needed. "If it makes you feel any better, Annabeth...I hope you know that I'll stay with you. That I'll help you in any way that I can. That I'll try my best to do whatever I can for...our baby."

Annabeth couldn't hold his gaze. She swallowed, fiddled with the hem of her shirt, looked everywhere except at Percy. Percy was appropriately confused. Okay, so maybe he'd been expecting, like, a _thank you_ or something. Or even a hug. But what he didn't expect was for Annabeth to look so nervous and - was that a hint of amusement on her face?

Wait a second. What was going on?

Percy let go of Annabeth, starting to feel just a tad suspicious. "Uh...why are you laughing?"

The smirk on her face was now evident, but she stubbornly replied. "Don't be silly. I'm not laughing."

She totally was. Percy started to wonder if she was beginning to lose her mind. This was not good. Was this a side effect of pregnancy? Did hormones and all that other crap cause women to go absolutely bananas?

Annabeth snuck a glance at Percy's face. Apparently what she saw there was highly amusing, for she let out a huge guffaw.

Percy had never felt so lost in his life. He didn't know what to do. Was this some sort of laughing attack? "Uh, Annabeth, do you need me to call-"

"No! No, don't do that." She covered her face with her hands. "Oh, gods, I knew this was a bad idea. I feel so guilty now, especially after you said all of that."

"Uh, okay, it would be fantastic if you told me what in the _Hades_ is going on right now," Percy said. Annabeth did not behave irrationally, ever. This was cause for some major concern on his part.

Annabeth let out a full-on laugh. "Oh, Seaweed Brain. You're going to hate me for this, but...I'm not pregnant."

Percy managed to splutter, "_What_?"

Annabeth grinned at him, then smacked a kiss on his cheek. "April Fools'!" She singsonged.

Annabeth stood up and walked off down the path, leaving her absolutely befuddled boyfriend to gape after her.

Percy scrambled after her. "Hey-wait up-_that was so not cool_!"

* * *

**A/N**: Here is your hastily done, rather short April Fools' Day themed-drabble. Whee!

And, no, I don't own PJO, unfortunately. ;)


	21. Word

**Chapter Twenty**: Word  
**Summary**: The one word that can change a relationship. Fluff fluff fluff.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own PJO.

* * *

Rays of sunlight warmed Annabeth's skin as she strolled toward her boyfriend's apartment on the Upper East Side, armed with her ever-present laptop bag, a tote stuffed with textbooks and some tasty pastries, and a drink holder containing two drinks: a Starbucks mocha chai latte for her and a blueberry slushie for him. Today was yet another one of Percy and Annabeth's pre-arranged study dates, in which the duo holed up in Percy's apartment to work on their schoolwork together. Of course, oftentimes both of them ended up doing something_ other_ than studying, but they both welcomed any excuse to get to see each other. Now that the school year was in full swing, their visits had become few and far between; in fact, Annabeth hadn't seen Percy for almost two weeks. She missed that annoying Seaweed Brain more than she liked to admit. Feeling happy at the notion to finally see him in person again cheered her, and so she'd stopped to grab their favorite drinks and some snacks so they could engage in a small celebration of sorts.

She arrived at his apartment, fumbling for the key Percy's mother had given her (which really wasn't as big of a deal as it seemed, considering the fact that they were demigods and sometimes had to crash at each other's places when it was too risky to venture outdoors). However, she soon found her efforts were unnecessary, for the door swung open, as if someone had been waiting for her. Knowing Percy, he probably had been.

They'd been dating for several months, but Annabeth still had a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that he really was hers. Every time he gave her that special grin, or hugged her, or spontaneously kissed her in public, it was a little surprise in itself. Her insides always seemed to flutter when she was around him. She supposed that was one of the things about being in love: It never got old. Every day held something different.

Annabeth's thoughts halted with a screech. Wait a minute. _In love?_ Since when had she started thinking like that?

She broke herself out of her reverie long enough to kiss her boyfriend in greeting. "Hey," she murmured.

"Hey," Percy replied, grinning. "It's good to see you."

She returned the smile. "It's good to see you too. Now, are you going to let me in, or just leave me standing out here all day?"

He pretended to be lost in thought. "Hmmmm...why don't you just wait out here while I think about that..."

She nudged him playfully. He winked in response and threw the door wide open for her, giving her a mock salute.

Annabeth set her things down with a contented sigh and looked around. She always loved going to the Jackson-Blofis apartment. Camp Half-Blood was her home, but this place was a close second. It was cozy just like a home should be, interspersed with the smell of fresh-baked cookies (Sally knew that Annabeth loved her cookies, and always made sure to bake some whenever she came over), manuscripts from the book Sally was writing, papers from Paul's English students that were in the midst of being graded, and the signs that a demigod lived here: squares of ambrosia and canteens of nectar, a backpack prepared especially for a quick escape.

Percy was in the kitchen, presumably to fetch the cookies that were waiting for them. Annabeth followed him in, clutching the drink holder and bag of pastries. She set them down on the counter and examined the room as Percy rummaged in the cupboard for a plate. She had been in here many times before, but never had she noticed the unusual plant that sat in the windowsill. The plant was beautiful, with its silvery tendrils curling in every direction, but the scent it gave off made her sad. She had a feeling that she knew where it had come from.

She turned around to see Percy watching her, his body language casual but his gaze careful. She moistened her lips and broke the silence. "This plant...where is it from?"

"Calypso," he replied. His tone turned a little wistful. "She gave it to me right before I left. She asked me to plant a garden in Manhattan for her."

Annabeth tilted her head, trying not to feel hurt. "You still think about her, don't you?"

"Every day," Percy admitted. "I asked the gods to free her after the war, but I don't know if they held up that end of the bargain. I hope they did." He locked eyes with her. "But I made my choice, Annabeth, and I don't regret it."

His intense gaze seemed to communicate something more. Annabeth had a hard time meeting it. She felt flustered. Before they'd started dating, she'd called him a coward out of pure frustration - but who was the coward _now_?

Annabeth knew she had trust issues. It was hard to let people in, especially when she knew that most would betray or abandon her in the end. But Percy - he had been one of the few who hadn't. He had risked his life for her (and vice versa) dozens of times. He did his best to comfort her when she cried, and always had some witty comment in his arsenal that she couldn't help but smile at. If there was anyone in the world she could let her guard down around, it was him.

She could still feel his green-eyed gaze boring into her skull. Percy had naturally piercing eyes, but there was a meaningful weight to the look he gave her now. She cleared her throat, partially to ease the silence and partially to banish the strange nervous lump that had popped up in her throat. "I, uh, brought pastries. And drinks."

Percy's face cleared, the way it always did whenever she brought up food. Typical teenage boy behavior. "Oh, yeah? What do you have there?"

She presented the blueberry slushie to him with a flourish. "Your favorite, of course."

"Awww, you shouldn't have."

"And..." - she peeked inside the pastry bag - "_and _I have some muffins, chocolate chip and banana nut to be exact. And those cream cheese danishes that you like."

Percy grabbed one of the aforementioned danishes and let out a contented sigh. "Ah, Wise Girl," he murmured between bites of the danish, "how I love you and your slushie-bringing, pastry-bearing ways."

Annabeth laughed at first, winding up to give him a playful punch on the arm, but stopped mid-giggle when she realized the significance of what he had said.

_He _loves _me?_

Love. It was funny how one four-letter word could be so powerful. How it could completely change the context of a relationship. That was precisely what Percy had just done - taken their relationship to a new level. And yet there he was, just standing there eating a cream cheese danish like it was no big deal, like he hadn't just told her the three words that any Aphrodite girl longed to hear. Leave it to Percy to drop a bombshell and not even be aware that he had. But she should have known to expect anything different. Being oblivious to everything was exactly what he was notorious for.

She stared up at him, unsure of what to do. How was one supposed to handle a spontaneous, casual declaration of love, especially when the very person who uttered it failed to recognize its significance? Percy was still completely unaware of her inner conflict, calmly taking an enormous slurp of his blueberry slushie. He turned to face her after a beat or two, perhaps wondering why she was being so quiet, and stopped mid-slurp at the expression on her face.

"Uh, Annabeth? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Annabeth was absolutely bemused. "Um. Because."

Percy frowned. Annabeth was rarely at a loss for words. "Because...what?"

"Because... you just told me you loved me."

"I told you I...oh._ Oh_."

Now it was Percy's turn to look bewildered. Annabeth waited for what was sure to come next: the blushing, the awkward silence, the stumbling over words. Strangely enough, none of that happened.

Instead, Percy shrugged and stuffed more of the cheese danish in his mouth. "Well. Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes. I love you."

"Just like that?" Annabeth winced at her question, but honestly was at a loss as to what else to say. She couldn't believe how nonchalant Percy was being.

He frowned. "Does there have be a big production about it? I love you, and I'm telling you that I do. Just like that."

As his words sunk in, Annabeth tried hard to stifle the cheesy, all-encompassing grin that was threatening to sweep across her features. Her success was minimal. She felt as if her stomach was performing a complicated acrobatic routine and yet at the same time, a warm, blissful feeling was sweeping through her body. In that moment, she had no doubt that love was a force that could be felt physically. This was what it felt like, she realized. To know that you were really, truly_ loved_. Not just by a friend or a family member, but by that special someone. She had found her someone.

He loved her. And suddenly, she realized that she loved him too.

She stepped into his familiar embrace, burying her face in his chest. She didn't really trust herself to meet his gaze just yet. "I love you," she murmured.

Percy, being the oddly omniscient person he was, gently pushed her back so he could get a look at her face, perhaps sensing her uncertainty. He fiddled with a loose strand of her hair. "Wise Girl, you know you don't have to say it back if you're not ready."

Annabeth was often surprised at just how selfless her boyfriend could be. He had just bared his feelings to her (although he had done his best to not make a big deal out of it) and didn't even expect anything in return. He had such an unending capacity for goodness that Annabeth found herself constantly amazed. This goodness, she realized, was one of the qualities she liked best about him.

She looked him straight in the eye. "But I _do_ love you. Just like that."

The smallest and yet warmest of grins graced Percy's face. "Good to know."

* * *

**A/N**: Well, that was really darn fluffy. Sorry. Again. I just can't control myself when it comes to these two. :)

Question time: Has anyone read the transcript/seen the video for the Mark of Athena preview? I have, and I'm kind of freaking out inside. October, come quickly!

Also: What prompt should I use for my next chapter? I have quite a few in mind:

Gone

Home

Feel

Dead

Mind

Hope

Arms

Warm

Cold

Deep

Blue

Cake

Work

Time

Heal

Wait

Stay

Sick

Rest

Kids

Want

Need

Move

Same

Let me know about any other possible prompts you might have! Not quite sure when the next chapter will be up - I have to worry about AP tests and finals, but I will try to have it up ASAP :)

-Alexa

PS: I totally neglected to acknowledge a few chapters ago that this fic has been going on for - gasp! - two years! Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews and favorites and story alerts and author alerts. I truly appreciate everyone's support and I'm so glad that you guys seem to be enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. :)


	22. Blue

**Chapter 21**: Blue  
**Summary**: The color blue and its significance to Percy and Annabeth.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own PJO.

* * *

The color blue meant different things to both of them.

For him, blue was a representation of the ever-present ocean, its wind-tossed waves and salty spray. Blue was the place he felt inexplicably connected to, every fiber of his being straining to be within its cool depths. Years later he would know that he wasn't simply imagining the way the tide seemed to wrap around his ankles and attempt to keep him there forevermore; it was his father's way of saying, _I'm here. I never forgot you_. Blue was his connection, a reassurance that there was someone out there who was keeping him safe.

Blue was also his mother. Blue was a running joke consisting of cerulean-shaded pastries and soup and macaroni and cheese. Blue was long nights spent in the safety of his room, with her rocking him in her arms, singing to him softly, telling him tales of a mysterious man who had risen from the sea. Blue was how she always smelled like cookies and would sneak candy away from her workplace just to so she could give it to him. Blue was his beginning, the basis of his being. Blue was his childhood, a childhood that was by no means easy, but was full of love.

Blue was his favorite color.

For her, blue was trustworthiness. A solid foundation. Permanence. It was the color of his eyes, of the boy who was her family, one of her partners in crime. Blue was his promise to keep her safe, to treasure the bond they had over all else.

And then, blue became pain. Blue became betrayal and treason and a million other things she'd never thought she'd associate with it. Blue was what she couldn't stand but simply couldn't let go of. Blue would be her undoing, but blue would also be the cause of her ascent.

But there was a different shade of blue, a blue that was this new, odd boy, with substance hidden within his kelp-filled noggin. Blue was his laugh and his dimples and his corny jokes, his ability to impact her without being aware of it himself. Blue was his bravery and unfailing loyalty, friendship and faith.

For a while, blue meant two different things. Blue was a conflict that raged on inside her head, a choice that needed to be made. Blue was denial. Blue was still pain.

But then, blue became redemption. Blue became closure. The blue that represented shards of her past life would soon fade away, not entirely, only enough so that a newer, more vivid blue could take its place.

The newer, vivid blue was icing and comfy sweatshirts and cupcake-tinged kisses, long walks on the beach and an underwater embrace. Blue was sneaking into his cabin and lying down beside him and talking and laughing and waking up in each others' arms. Blue was joy. Blue was love.

* * *

Blue had a variety of meanings; it was a color that was oftentimes associated with sorrow and heartache. But for Percy and Annabeth, blue meant happiness and lightness and the joy of simply _being_. Blue was _them_.

Blue was everything.

* * *

**A/N**: Um, okay, not sure what I was going for there. But a few of you wanted me to do this prompt, so here it is.

Next chapter will be up soon-ish. We'll see.

Thanks for reading!

-Alexa


	23. Hope

**Chapter 22**: Hope  
**Summary**: Set post-SoN, during the Giant War.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own PJO.

* * *

Annabeth sat on the deck of the Argo II, feet hanging off the end of a ledge into the crisp, cool air. She stared at the misty night sky and the dim lights of towns below, trying not to think of how this could be the last time she laid eyes upon Greece's mysterious beauty. But she knew that time was running out, was acutely aware of how broken and battered everyone was, of how they were all far from tip-top condition. The ship was approaching the battlefield, slowly but surely, and by dawn its crew would have to prepare to make their final stand. She didn't know who would fall. She didn't want to know.

She heard familiar footsteps beside her, and knew instinctively who it was without turning. Percy settled on the ledge, his shoulder brushing hers. Usually he carried with him a certain aura of calm, but tonight that aura was subdued, more solemn. The serious side of Percy was seen only in moments of intense danger, and Annabeth knew that he, too, understood the magnitude of the situation.

She leaned onto his shoulder. "Hey," she murmured, breaking the silence.

"Hey," he responded. "Big day tomorrow, right?"

She sighed. "Big day, indeed."

A few quiet moments passed between them, both sides lost in thought. Involuntarily, the two reached out for each other's hands at precisely the same moment. Percy squeezed her hand. Annabeth squeezed back.

Percy spoke up, somewhat hesitant to broach the subject. But it was something he needed to say. "Look, about tomorrow-"

Annabeth cut him off. "Percy, I'm sorry, but I'd rather not discuss our imminent deaths tonight. Gods know it's all I can think about anyway."

Percy stared at her, incredulous. "Is that what you think?"

"What?"

"That we're doomed? That we've essentially been handed a death sentence? That there's no hope for us at all?"

Annabeth lifted her head off his shoulder. "How could you think otherwise?" she demanded. "Think about it, Percy. All the odds are stacked against us. Our enemies are far superior in strength and numbers. What are we? Simply a group of ragtag teenagers who are crazy enough to think they could save the world."

"What makes you believe that thinking we can save the world makes us crazy?" Percy countered. "Maybe it's a small fraction of a chance, but it's a _chance_, Annabeth. You can't write us off completely."

There was silence as Annabeth bit down on her lip hard, considering. After a few minutes, Percy continued, his tone softer and less harsh. "Annabeth," he murmured. "The Titan War, last year...do you remember how Pandora's pithos kept following me around? And how they kept trying to tempt me to give it up? To abandon hope completely?"

Annabeth nodded.

"Do you know why I didn't?"

"You never talked to me about it. Weren't there times when you wanted to?" Annabeth asked, her tone slightly wistful.

"Yes," Percy admitted. "But hope is the _last thing we have_, Annabeth. Our last weapon. Give up hope, and you've already lost. You have to keep it alive, Annabeth. Keep that fire burning, no matter what."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his torso. "I know. It's just..." She trailed off. "I'm just _scared_, Percy."

He pressed his lips to her head. "I know," her murmured into her hair. "I am too. But we can't quit now."

Percy's words echoed in her head. Hope. Keep hope alive. _We can't quit now_.

He was right. They had to _believe_, no matter how dismal their chances, no matter how desperate their situation. It was as simple as that.

So she made herself a promise. She wouldn't give hope up. Not for anything. She'd keep fighting right up until the very end, right up until her final breath.

The promise wasn't meant just for her. It was also for the rest of their crew, for all the demigods back at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, and particularly for the boy sitting next to her. If he could hold on to hope, so could she.

And she would. For herself. For him. For everybody.

* * *

**A/N**: Happy memorial day everyone! The school year's almost over, and I'm exempt from most of my finals! Whoop whoop. I'd love to say that the approaching summer vacation means more time for updating, but I'm probably going to be very busy this summer with volunteer work, getting a job, my driver's license, college visits, applying for scholarships, etc...hopefully I'll have some downtime for writing and some nice arts and crafts projects :)

Anyway, the next chapter is almost done and will be up soon - maybe even later today! As always, thanks for reading. :)

- Alexa


	24. Warm

**Chapter 23**: Warm  
**Summary**: After a nasty run-in with a monster, Percy has to take drastic measures to help Annabeth. Not sure when exactly this is set, but let's assume they're a little older but not exactly dating yet. Nothing too steamy, but I did change the story rating to T for a reason.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own PJO.

* * *

"Annabeth, what the _hell_ were you thinking?"

She can't answer. It's not just because she doesn't _have _an answer for him, but it's because she physically can't force her trembling lips to form any coherent words. She's shivering, shaking like a leaf, every inch of her body numb and yet tingly at the same time. She's dazed, weakened, her mind barely functioning. But most of all, she's cold — very cold.

Percy lets out a few forceful curses in Ancient Greek. "Annabeth, you were fighting a _Hyperborean_. A violent one, too. Why didn't you come get me for backup? If I hadn't decided to go check on you, I don't know what would have happened. Gods, you're _freezing_," he mutters as he brings his hand to her face.

Her tongue is heavy in her mouth, but she manages to stammer, "I-I thought I could take him b-by myself." She pauses as a particularly violent shiver causes her body to convulse. "M-my fatal flaw, I g-g-guess. H-he got me pretty b-b-bad."

Percy scowls, but his eyes show concern. His hand feels like fire against her cheek. His eyebrows furrow, like they always do when he's worried. "You really do feel like a block of ice," he says as they enter the small cave where they've set up camp. "Come on. I got a fire started. You can go sit by it." He pauses. "Can—do you think you'll be able to make it there on your own?"

She shuts her eyes, feeling her consciousness begin to fade. "I—so tired. C-can't move. Everything is j-just…cold." Her arm is around his shoulders and she's leaning heavily against him for support. She knows that she'll fall the second one of them lets go.

Percy bites his lip. "Okay. Looks like a no. Um…let me see." He repositions her so as to pick her up, but the slightest motion causes her to fall to the dusty cave floor. "Annabeth! Oh my gods. Are you okay?"

"So..t-t-tired…" she whispers in response. Her fingers clutch at his weakly. Her breath is shallow.

"No!" Percy's voice is edged with panic. "No, Annabeth. Don't fall asleep. Don't do that." His fingers find the side of her neck, check her pulse. "I—oh my gods. Bad. This is bad." Her eyelids start to flutter and he shakes her again. "Hey. Hey. Stay with me. Listen. What can I do to help? Nectar, maybe? Here. Let me just—" He breaks off as he scoops her into his arms, as if she were as light as a feather. Annabeth's mind, although feeble, reflects on how strange their role reversal is —that suddenly, Percy's the one taking care of her rather than the other way around.

He sets her down gently by the fire and rummages quickly in his knapsack. He pulls out a canteen and unscrews it, then guides it to her lips. "Here. There's not much, but it might help you a little." Supporting the back of her head, he slowly tips the canteen. Nectar trickles down her throat. The pain fades slightly, but her exhaustion increases. She lets out a faint sigh as Percy removes the canteen from her lips. "Mmm…I think I'll take a l-little nap now," she mumbles. Her words are slurred, her voice still shaky.

Percy looks seriously scared now, though her muddled brain can't imagine why. He throws the canteen to the ground and checks her pulse again, places the back of his hand against her neck and forehead. "Gods, you're so cold. You're turning _blue, _Annabeth. Oh my gods." He rubs her hands between his own. "Don't fall asleep, okay? Promise me that."

Annabeth can't reply, but squeezes his hands weakly in response.

Percy starts muttering to himself, a quiet string of words that Annabeth can only understand bits and pieces of. "Hypothermia…best way to cure…not nectar, apparently…what did she tell me about how to treat this…something about skin…" He trails off, abruptly ending his audible thought process, and looks at her. Annabeth's vision is blurred, unreliable, but there is something odd in his expression, as if he is feeling…apprehensive?

He gently sits her up, holds her face between his hands. He looks her right in the eye. "You told me once that this would help treat hypothermia, so…uh, just…don't kill me." He winces slightly. "Sorry. But as far as I know, there's nothing else I can do."

Even though she's barely aware of anything besides the cold seeping through her body, she's still surprised when he starts unzipping her jacket, pulling off her shirt. It's when he starts fumbling with the button on her jeans that her fingers attempt to pry his away. "W-what are you d-d-doing?"

He doesn't even look up. "You said once that skin-to-skin contact would help people with hypothermia. Sorry," he repeats, somewhat sheepishly. "This'll probably get awkward."

He pulls off her boots, socks, and then her jeans. She is watching him, dazedly; his eyes don't linger, for he is entirely focused on helping her. Despite the fact that she was just undressed by her (attractive) male best friend and is currently lying down in her underwear in front of said best friend, she is too desperate for warmth to care much about anything, let alone modesty.

The chills overtake her as the chilly air assaults her body. Percy notices and his motions become more urgent. "C'mon," he murmurs soothingly as he picks her up as easily as if she were a child. "Get in the sleeping bag." He unzips the sleeping bag — a means of warmth that they are lucky enough to still have, considering all they have been through during this quest — and gently tucks her within. "Sit tight," he commands, as if she had any intention of doing something different.

He stands up and turns his back to her, unaware she is watching him with heavily-lidded, tired eyes. He removes his coat, pulls off his long-sleeved t-shirt and shoes and socks and jeans. Annabeth shivers, unsure if it's from the cold or from watching him. Percy can be clumsy, but the urgency of the situation has put a certain grace in his movements. Staring at the hard muscled planes of his back and his lean, sinewy muscles, she can't stop her addled mind from wandering _there_, a place she'd never willingly let herself explore before. She squeezes her eyes shut, and when she opens them again he is crouching beside her, gently shifting her over.

Suddenly, he is in the sleeping bag with her, adjusting his body position so they can both fit. He flinches as her ice-cold feet brush against his leg. "You're still freezing," he mutters. He takes her hands and rubs them between his own, blowing on her frozen fingers. "Just…stay close, all right?" He wraps his arms around her inert figure and she does her best to burrow herself into his warm chest. The drowsiness is overpowering now; she can hardly process the fact that they are _this close_, with next to nothing separating them. He's whispering soothingly, his lips tickling her ear, words she can barely make out. They sound like a prayer, an appeal to the gods above. It is this that lulls her to sleep at last, encased in the comfort of his arms.

* * *

When she wakes up, dim streaks of daylight are streaming through the cave's small opening, past the embers of the dying fire, illuminating her surroundings. The first thing she realizes is that she feels _normal_, as good as new. The second thing she realizes is that there is someone else in extremely close proximity to her, limbs entangled with hers.

She blinks, her eyes adjusting, and her gaze alights upon Percy's sleeping face. In slumber, he is peaceful, almost childlike — only the traces of stubble on his jawline gives away his age. Her fingers trace absentmindedly over his collarbone, his chest. She'd never realized until this moment how beautiful he was. She admires the perfect symmetry of his features, his messy black hair and long eyelashes. Her insides twist, almost painfully.

Suddenly, he shifts and sighs, and some instinct within tells Annabeth to shut her eyes, to feign unconsciousness.

He is awake now, she can tell. Behind closed eyelids she can feel him move. She hears him exhale as he raises an arm — perhaps to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He pauses, as if he seems to be appraising their situation — the lack of clothing, the tangle of body parts, the shared sleeping bag. He carefully detaches himself from her, and Annabeth immediately finds herself aching for his touch, for some odd reason.

He's poised to get out of the sleeping bag when there's another pause, though Annabeth can't imagine what for. She doesn't dare open her eyes, instead focusing on the rhythm and cadence of her own breathing. _In, out. In, out._

She feels him moving closer, the sound of _his_ exhalations becoming louder. It's all she can do to control her breathing. She doesn't have a chance of calming her racing heartbeat.

She feels his warm breath on her forehead, tickling her. She feels his lips press once, briefly, against her hair. And just like that, he stands and is gone.

There is a strange feeling overtaking her senses, filling her insides. Her heart feels full, satisfied. She feels as if every pore is radiating sunlight, as if she could fly up into the stratosphere if she so desired. Her body feels light, content. She has no word for what this emotion is, can't assign it any name. Perhaps she should be afraid or cautious, but she knows she wants more of whatever this is. She can't keep herself from desiring more.

She waits a full ten minutes, keeping count in her head, before she even dares to stir. She stretches, groaning quietly as her previously numb limbs pop and snap. She opens one eye, then the other. He is sitting by the remnants of the fire, now fully clothed. When he sees she's awake, he smiles.

"So," Percy asks her, "do you feel better? All warmed up and everything?"

Annabeth offers him a smile, and a nod. "I feel great."

To be honest, she's never felt warmer.

* * *

**A/N**: That took me a while to write, but I hope you guys liked it! I did promise I'd have it up soon, right? :)

Anyway, I already have an idea for the next chapter, and hopefully that means another fast update! School is almost out, you guys! (and I'm almost a senior...why am I so old?)

Any suggestions for future chapters? Tell me in a review!

Even if you don't have an idea, review anyway, because I do quite enjoy reviews.

Thanks for reading!

-Alexa

PS: Thinking of doing a rewrite of the first few chapters...thoughts? I'll probably make a separate story to put the original unedited versions in, if enough people want them up.


	25. Home

**Chapter 24**: Home  
**Summary**: While on the run, Percy and Annabeth find comfort in each other. AU. Loosely based on the song 'Home' by Phillip Phillips.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own.

* * *

_settle down, it'll all be clear  
don't pay no mind to the demons  
they fill you with fear  
the trouble it might drag you down  
if you get lost you can always be found_

_just know you're not alone  
cause i'm going to make this place your home_

* * *

They've been on the run for forever, it seems like. Over however long it's been, they've learned to perfect their routines, to begin to carve out a nomadic existence from what their lives once were. Neither have seen their families in a long time, and Camp Half Blood is no longer the safe haven it once was. In fact, nowhere is safe. Not for them, and not for any other demigod, either.

Ever since the Mist faded and the mortals began to realize the truth of what was really going on around them, demigods had been hunted down, blamed for the chaos caused by monsters, and chased to every corner of the earth. Everything began to unravel, and humans soon proved themselves to be worse enemies than Kronos or Gaea or any other being that existed in the mythological world. It soon became apparent that there was nothing more dangerous than a mortal driven by fear and blind to the truth.

And so Percy and Annabeth and their fellow demigods had been forced to flee, to do their best to remain anonymous, to blend in with the masses. The enchantments around Camp Half Blood were still strong enough to keep out unwanted mortals, but Percy and Annabeth had been outside its borders when the madness began and now could no longer gain access. Entering or exiting the camp was no longer an option. The humans now knew Camp Half Blood for what it truly was, and kept eyes on it at all times. Half-Blood Hill was on lockdown, and there was no clear prognosis as to when - or if - it would be safe to return.

The stranded demigods had no choice but to leave all that was familiar, with scarcely enough time to say goodbye to their families. They knew it wouldn't be long until the government found out their identities, and would begin to keep watch over all they held dear. Percy had hugged his mother and stepfather goodbye, promising to Iris message them whenever he could, for that was the only secure mode of communication they had left. Annabeth had called her father, tearfully explaining that no, she couldn't visit him for Christmas break this year, and probably not for any other break after that.

It was then that Percy and Annabeth set off into the unknown, with only a meager amount of demigod supplies and a wad of cash to sustain them.

Traveling in groups was risky, dangerous, a surefire way to attract unwanted attention. The majority of half-bloods who had been able to escape tended to travel in pairs or groups of three; any larger number would arouse suspicion among the public. So Percy and Annabeth found themselves alone, with only the other to rely on. It was not a new feeling; the two had been on enough quests together to become accustomed to putting their lives in each other's hands.

But this was more than a quest; it was what could very well be a lifelong struggle for survival. There was no clear end in sight. Both had to accept that they were in it together for the long run.

It wasn't as if Percy and Annabeth weren't comfortable around each other. They'd been best friends since they were twelve, and had been through more together than most people went through in a lifetime. They were eighteen now, but although they'd always had an opportunity to become something more, their relationship had never been anything more than platonic.

The question was if either one of them wanted it to stay that way.

They'd spent so much time together that already, the line between 'friends' and 'couple' had begun to blur. They had become comfortable around each other, more so than ever before. They were not quite acquaintances, yet not quite lovers - honestly, it was hard to tell _what_ they were, if anything it all.

* * *

Annabeth attributed her burgeoning relationship with Percy to the fact that all they had was each other. Being cut off from the familiar with only one person by your side was bound to affect your connection with that person.

But _how_, exactly, did that affect said relationship? Annabeth didn't have a name for what was happening, nor did she have a gauge on when it had started. _It_ (for lack of a better word) had come gradually. _It_ had snuck up on them, a wily little creature, nestling itself between the two and somehow managing to dictate their actions toward each other. _It_ had changed the dynamics of Percy and Annabeth's friendship, and suddenly the two were thrust into uncharted territory. Was this a good thing? Was this a bad thing? Annabeth had no clue, and her complete lack of expertise in this matter infuriated her to no end.

In other words, _it_ made her angry. Very angry.

But _it_ also gave her an impossible, unfathomable joy.

* * *

One day, completely out of the blue, Percy realized that Annabeth looked...different.

It wasn't a physical difference. Annabeth still had her signature blonde curls and huge gray eyes, capable of delivering him a withering stare that he couldn't quite contend with. No, she looked the same as always. But at the same time, she didn't.

It was like the sight of her triggered some sort of reaction within him, something that went down to the chemical level. Something that made every nerve ending in his body feel electrified. Everything was clearer around her, and he couldn't explain why that was so. Whatever this was, it pulled him towards her like a moth drawn to flame. He didn't know what to make of this _desire_ he had, this desire to hold her, to simply _be_ with her. It overtook his senses, casting him adrift on a sea of confusion.

And yet, somehow, it felt just right.

* * *

Every now and then, Percy and Annabeth decide to splurge and stay the night at a motel. It's more a necessity than a want - their nightly camp-outs in the woods make it hard to keep up appearances. Plus, the duo could only go so long without a decent shower.

They spend part of their dwindling supply of mortal cash on the cheapest room they can find at the cheapest motel they can find, taking care not to do anything that screams, "HI, I AM A FUGITIVE. PLEASE HAVE ME ARRESTED." Fortunately, the slightly drunk, scruffy man at the front desk who takes their cash doesn't seem too attentive, probably believing that they're just a couple of kids off to do some sketchy stuff in a place where their parents can't bother them.

If only it were that simple.

Room 122 is not luxurious in the slightest; the cramped space reeks of cigarette smoke and some other aroma that neither of them really want to identify. Annabeth forces Percy to sweep the room for any sign of spiders. It's a foolish fear, but one that stubbornly persists, even after all those nights spent out in the wild with no protection from the elements.

Percy wrinkles his nose, pretending to be annoyed by her request, but she knows he's just teasing. He looks for the creepy devils behind furniture, under the sheets, between the cushions of the one pathetic looking armchair. Once he's conducted his search, he offers her his trademark sarcastic grin. "There doesn't seem to be any spiders here, m'lady. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Annabeth manages a smile and playfully jabs him on the arm. "That will be all, kind sir. Thank you." She's been in a melancholy mood all day, and she appreciates his attempts to cheer her up. They work for the most part, even though she knows that he is as affected by what they saw as she is.

It hadn't been too gruesome of a sight, not really, but it had still been enough to make her blood run cold. They had been hiking through the woods, taking care to stay hidden from the highways, when they had stumbled upon signs of a camp. At first glance, it appeared to be abandoned, but the demigod supplies strewn about the campsite and the slight warmth of the burnt branches in the campfire gave Annabeth pause. Someone had been there fairly recently. One of _them_, if the leftover squares of ambrosia inside a worn plastic bag were any indication. And yet, whoever this was had done a poor job of covering their tracks. At Camp Half-Blood, they had been trained to be stealthy, to leave behind no visible traces. This person had obviously been in a hurry.

She and Percy had exchanged glances. No demigod would have left in such a hurry unless they were being pursued.

They'd cleaned up the campsite as quickly and as thoroughly as they could, taking the few supplies that had been left and stashing them in an empty tree trunk. Percy had spotted what appeared to be prints, and they had followed them, vainly hoping that this demigod, whoever it was, was safe. And yet the trail had ended abruptly, giving way to streaks of blood that led towards the highway. The worst had happened. They were too late to help.

And the most awful part of it all was finding the camp necklace, half-buried in the leaves. It had obviously been trampled on, kicked about in the muck. The necklace had had only one bead - a relatively new camper, probably young.

They had doubled back to the abandoned campsite, where Percy buried the necklace, marking the area with a small piece of wood. They had considered retrieving the supplies from the tree trunk, but Percy had refused, saying that it might be of some use to any demigods who might stumble into this area in the future. Percy had raised a valid point, but Annabeth knew that his refusal to take the supplies stemmed from the fact that he simply could not steal the belongings of a dead child, whether he knew who it was or not. Even in desperate times, he could not be that selfish.

Annabeth understood. She felt the same way.

She thinks about all of this as she perches gingerly on the bed, drying her hair with a towel. Percy had insisted she shower first, which had pleased her in a strange way. Even after all the time she's spent around him, she often forgets that he can be a gentleman when he feels like it. She listens to the water leak out onto the cold tile, the sound of the faucet squeaking. The water shuts off, and the shower curtain squeaks as it's pulled aside. She's not sure, but she thinks she hears a low, muffled sigh. His thoughts are probably in the same place as hers. She wonders if he's taking it any better. Knowing him, probably not.

He emerges from the bathroom, unleashing a wave of steam. He is miraculously dry, as usual. One of the perks of being a son of Poseidon. He flops down on the bed beside her, clad only in a t-shirt and boxer shorts. Somehow, this isn't weird. Being around each other for so long has erased any traces of prudishness they might have had in the past. They've shared beds and sleeping bags before, neither of them wanting to make things harder merely because of insecurity or self-consciousness. They've had to do a lot of sharing lately.

Percy startles her from her reverie. "Are you okay?" His voice is lower, huskier, a sign that he is just as eager to go to sleep as she is. Yet, despite his exhaustion, he notices the shift in her expression, the difference in her mood.

Annabeth sighs and crawls under the sheets beside him. "I don't know. It's just that what happened today...it made me think of everyone else. I mean, they could be dead, or captured, or being tortured, or -" She stops, hearing the panic rise in her voice.

Percy sighs. "We don't know that for sure. Maybe they're still on the run. Like us."

"That's the best case scenario, though. Percy, how many weeks has it been since we've had contact with anybody? How many months? Maybe even a year has passed, and we don't even know it."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Annabeth, I think about it all the time, you know I do. But we can't dwell on it. We just can't."

Annabeth knows he's right, and that she has to accept that. But it's as if a dam has broken inside her, and everything has come flooding out. "But Percy...our friends. Everyone at camp. Grover. Thalia. Rachel. Nico. Chiron. And our parents. My dad, your mom. We don't know if they're alive, and they don't know if we're alive. It's just - it's not fair. I want this all to be over. I want -" and she stops, to swallow back the lump in her throat "- I just want to go _home_."

As soon as the words leave her mouth, she wants to take them back. She means what she said, of course she does, but she hates sounding like a whiny child. She should be grateful. Grateful for being alive. Grateful for even having the chance to cry.

If any of these thoughts cross Percy's mind, he doesn't say anything. Instead, he reaches out and wraps her in his arms, calming her quivering breaths. "Listen," he murmurs. "I'm not going to tell you that everything's going to be okay, because even I'm not sure of that. And I miss home, too. It hurts more than anything when I think about all the people who have to fend for themselves now. All the people we can't help. All the people left behind." He pauses, his voice fading. Annabeth peers up at him, straight into those mesmerizing sea green eyes that she has come to know so well. Her heart flutters a little, and for the first time she realizes how close they are, and how, for some reason, it doesn't feel strange at all.

He seems to notice this too, and pulls her closer, just the tiniest bit. "But here's the thing, Annabeth. We both miss home. But we can't go back any time soon. So until then...well, we can be each other's home."

Annabeth, distracted by his eyes and his warmth and her own exhaustion, mumbles, "What?"

He smiles a little, probably amused that now he's the one having to repeat things to her. "I said..." he says, moving closer to her ear, "we're each other's home now."

The words tickle her ear, sending a jolt of warmth down her spine. _It's true_, she realizes. They didn't have a lot. But they did have each other, and that was all that mattered.

_Home_. He was her home, and she was his. She likes the sound of that.

Annabeth gives him a small grin, and buries her head into his chest. She falls asleep to his heartbeat, so close and so real and so solidly _there_, ready to face whatever the next day would bring.

* * *

**A/N**: Have I really not updated this since May? Oops. Well, I'm updating this now, instead of doing homework like a responsible student should. Priorities. I have them.

Anyways, I got Mark of Athena last weekend and devoured it in a day. **Quit reading now** if you haven't read it yet and don't want to be spoiled!

But yeah, anyways, it pretty much left me emotionally ruined. Like, Percy and Annabeth were just so adorable throughout the book that I kind of wanted to cry. They're literally my favorite fictional couple (and favorite two characters) _ever_. They just love each other so much. I can't take it. And then the end came and I really did want to cry. So tragically beautiful, yes, but SO SO PAINFUL. It was a cliffhanger...literally. (Too soon?)

But seriously, c'mon now Rsquared! You can't just leave my OTP stranded in depths of hell. You can't! Just let them have a happy ending. PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU. Do it for my sanity, as well as everyone else's.

As for the other parts of the book, everything was just sooooo good. The plot is thickening and I'm just so excited to see what happens next. Also, Percy is just as much of a sassmaster as always, and his bromance with Jason (it literally said bromance!) is just A+. But I still don't like Jason all that much (idk why, really) and I really don't care to hear about him and Piper. (Nothing can really compare to Percabeth, in my opinion. RR set the bar high with them.) And when Piper thought of Percy as "unimpressive" I was like "B****H PLEASE. He is more impressive than you'll _ever_ be." (Okay, so I don't _hate_ Piper, but you do NOT go referring to my favorite book character EVER as "unimpressive". That is just not okay.)

As for the Frank/Hazel/Leo mess, I kind of don't know what to think about that. But I love all three characters. Leo is just precious. Team Leo for life, y'all. Also Frank is like a teddy bear and Hazel is just so cute with her old-fashioned 1940s-ness. (Oh yeah, and their collective reactions to the infamous stable scene? Priceless. Speaking of the stable scene, _my_ reaction was something like this: aksdjf;aksdjfdjf ;adsfjadskfj;dasjfa;ds)

And last but DEFINITELY not least, Annabeth was just all kinds of awesome. This was truly _her_ story, and I loved getting to hear from her POV. She is just as fantastic and brilliant and fierce as I thought she'd be. Plus, I want her and Reyna to be BFFs so they can be bada**es together. Aww yeah. Girl power.

Ahem. Sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent there. I just have a lot of MoA-related feelings, okay?! But yeah, I'll probably write a couple of MoA-based oneshots and drabbles. Not sure if I'll post them in here or separately. But first, I've got to publish my other drabble that I've been working on since before MoA came out. I think I have a few more of those saved somewhere.

Well, that's it for now. As always, thanks for reading! :) Hopefully I can update a little quicker next time...

-Alexa


	26. Rain

**Chapter 25: **Rain  
**Summary:** Okay, not MoA-related, but in light of recent events (i.e. Hurricane Sandy), I felt this had to be done. Partially inspired by Rick Riordan's tweet, which reads: "Percy Jackson would like to apologize for the hurricane. His dad can be SO embarrassing sometimes. Stay safe, East Coast."  
**Disclaimer:** These characters are not mine.

* * *

Fat droplets of water and gale-force winds assaulted the window of Percy's apartment, inside which both he and Annabeth were stranded. The strong, late-season hurricane was most definitely making its presence known; public transportation had been shut down and the deserted roads had somehow transformed into rivers. It was too difficult (or, at least in Percy's case, too bothersome) to get down the street, let alone to Camp Half Blood. No one was allowed in or out of the city, in any case, and Annabeth couldn't have made it back to her boarding school quarters even if she'd wanted to. Therefore, the two demigods were stuck inside the New York city limits (and inside the apartment itself), while Percy's mom and Paul were stuck out in Atlanta after a writing conference, unable to find a flight back.

Percy and Annabeth had only been cooped up in the apartment for the whole day, and that added to the fact that they were ADD-prone demigods made them both a little stir-crazy. Their power hadn't gone out yet, thank the Gods, but they both knew that it was only a matter of time. And once their power was gone, the TV and computer would be as good as gone too. And thus, their modes of entertainment would vanish. The thought of this kept the two a little antsy - and just a little snappy, too.

"Jeez, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth commented as she flipped between TV news reports chronicling the storm and the damage it was causing along the Eastern seaboard. "What did you do to piss off your dad so much? He's throwing quite the hissy fit."

Percy groaned. "Why do you always automatically blame _me_? Not my fault, Annabeth."

Annabeth shrugged. "Well, I mean, the last time a storm this crazy passed through New York, it _was_ kind of your fault."

"You know as well as I do that I did not steal Zeus' lightning bolt! Gods! That was, like, five years ago! You were even on that quest with me!"

"Well, duh, of course I know that you didn't really do it. But Zeus _did_ blame you for stealing it, and he sent a pretty nasty storm as a result. So yeah, technically it _was_ your fault."

Percy buried his face in hands. Annabeth felt that maybe she should stop, but she couldn't resist ragging on him just a teensy bit more. "Well, at least we know it's not Zeus this time. No, this time around, we have an entirely different god to blame..."

"UGH," Percy whined. "Can we stop with all the 'haha, this is all because of your dad' jokes? They're getting pretty old."

Annabeth punched him playfully in the arm. "I just think it's cute that you're getting so wound up about it."

"Uh, yeah, cause it's EMBARRASSING. My dad is responsible for displacing millions of people and causing, like, billions of dollars in property damage! So not cool. It's especially not cool that people are suffering just because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Percy looked away, clearly upset and more than a little peeved.

Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder. "Percy, don't take it too hard. I'm sure there's a somewhat plausible explanation for all of this."

"Oh yeah? What good reason could there be for pummeling my city, as well as the majority of the Eastern seaboard?"

"Um. I'll leave it up to your dad to explain."

"That's probably a good idea."

"Besides, Percy, he's a GOD. You know how gods are. They kinda just do whatever, and it never occurs to them what effect it has on mortals. Plus, they kind of all pull stuff like this on a daily basis. Don't feel too bad."

"...Still embarrassing though."

"Yeah, I'd be pretty embarrassed too."

"Hey!"

"I kid, I kid." Thunder rumbled outside the windowpane. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Lord Poseidon. Just joking."

"Wow, Wise Girl. Being impertinent to gods? That's _my_ job. I'm impressed."

"I guess you've just rubbed off on me. For better or worse." Annabeth gave Percy a sloppy kiss, then paused, listening to the rain lash the windows. "You know," she murmured, "this rain makes for some great cuddling weather."

Percy suddenly felt a lot more alert. "Cuddling, you say? Define cuddling."

"Oh, shush. You're such a GUY."

"You love me anyways, don't you?"

"Sadly, yes."

Percy flashed her his signature dimpled grin and leaned in for a kiss, but was interrupted by a low, whirring noise - the unmistakable sound of power winding down. He leaned away to take a look. Sure enough, they were in the dark. The TV had gone silent, and the apartment was filled with shadows, with just a tiny bit of light emanating from the windows.

Annabeth sighed. "Well, that does it. I guess we'll have to go get the candles."

Percy winked at her. "Ah, candles. So romantic."

Annabeth stood up. "Well," she said with an impish smile, "if you help me look for them, then maybe, just maybe I'll show you exactly what I meant by 'cuddling.'" She sauntered off, without so much as a backward glance.

Percy suddenly felt a surge of gratitude for his dad and the storm he had unleashed. He looked up, muttered a quick "thank you", and scrambled off after Annabeth with curious newfound energy.

* * *

**A/N**: This is probably really bad because I wrote it really quickly for the sake of timeliness. Oh well. Anyway, in all seriousness, my heart truly goes out to all those affected by Sandy. You guys are in my thoughts and prayers.


	27. Fall

**Chapter 26:** Fall  
**Summary: **The fall, and what came after. MoA spoilers.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters. (And if I did, I wouldn't sentence them to such a terrible fate. Sniffle.) Lyrics are from 'All We Know' by Paramore.

* * *

_cause all we know is falling, it falls._  
_remember, cause i know that we won't forget at all._

* * *

How long have they been falling? How long has it been since they saw their last glimpse of sunlight?

Neither of them are sure. Time has ceased to mean anything. Darkness has consumed their past, present, and future. All they know now is the rush of wind, the scent of ancient evils, and the terror that threatens to overtake their senses.

They try to speak to each other, but the cold, swiftly moving air effectively traps their words in their throats, and the few words they manage to utter get lost in the wind. They communicate primarily through squeezing each other's hands, a gesture that reassures the other that _no, you are not alone_.

Despite the foreboding that envelops him, Percy doesn't regret his decision. There was no way he would let Annabeth go down alone, not after all that they had been through, not after everything they had overcome. Whatever happened, they would face it together. And that was that.

He knows that this fall cannot last forever, and yet he is terrified of whatever awaits them at the end. There are reasons why not even the gods dare to venture to this hellish prison, and he is not looking forward to discovering what they are. He never got a chance to ask Nico what he had seen in Tartarus, but judging from his hollow eyes and the disquieting emptiness that seemed to emanate from his every pore, it hadn't been anything good.

He tries not to think about it, but part of him wonders what he will lose down here. He cannot shake the feeling that if he is able to survive this ordeal, the Percy that emerges from Tartarus won't be the same Percy who fell into it. He worries that a piece of him will go missing, that the darkness will spread in his mind like a cancer, eliminating his ability to do or think or see or feel. He doesn't want that. He doesn't want to become merely a shell of his former self.

But there is more at stake than his sanity. The fate of the world, for one thing. And the fate of the girl who is holding onto his hand, squeezing it as tightly as possible. There are things Percy cannot afford to lose, and Annabeth is one of them. But there are many ways he can, especially while they are down here, and the thought of that chills him to his core.

He copes the only way he knows how - by thinking of the good things. The good memories, when everything was so much better and brighter and safer and warmer. Like a movie reel, they form a stream of images in his mind that consists of underwater kisses and cupcakes and chariot races and fireworks and spontaneous hugs, of teasing and nicknames and laughing and picnics in Central Park. He locks these golden thoughts in his mind, in a place where Gaea can never reach them. Whatever happens, he figures, Annabeth will never truly be lost. A part of her will be immortalized inside him until the day he breathes his last breath. He swears not to forget. He will never forget. He will_ remember_, no matter what it takes.

Something shifts in the air, and somehow they know they are nearing the end. He squeezes her hand, and they brace for impact.

And then: nothing.

* * *

**A/N**: I know what you're thinking: _she makes us wait months for an update, and when it finally comes it's sad and depressing and not fluffy at all. What gives?_

Yeah, I know I suck with the whole timely updates thing. My creative juices only seem to flow at the most inconvenient times - like when I'm up at 4 am on a Sunday night frantically trying to finish a project that I should have started weeks ago. (It's happened.)

As always, my profuse apologies. Hope you enjoyed it anyway, despite the all the sadness. (Still not over the Tartarus thing. I'll never be over it. Ever.)

Thanks for reading!

-Alexa

PS: I've posted a new fic called Diversionary Tactics, starring teensecretagent!Percy and teensecretagent!Annabeth. It involves a mission, a gym full of high schoolers, a prom, henchmen, a mutation-causing toxin, and lots of sexual tension. Check it out if you're interested. ;)


End file.
